Anaxagoras Quotes

15 Sourced Quotes

The Greeks are not right to think that there is generation and destruction, for nothing is generated or destroyed, but there is a mixing and a separating of existing things. And so they would be right to call generation mixing and destruction separating.

Anaxagoras
In everything there is a portion of everything except of mind (nous), but some have mind as well.

Anaxagoras
All other things have a portion of everything, but Mind is infinite and self-ruled, and is mixed with nothing but is all alone by itself.

Anaxagoras
All things were together, infinite both in number and in smallness; for the small too was infinite.

Anaxagoras
Neither is there a smallest part of what is small, but there is always a smaller (for it is impossible that what is should cease to be). Likewise there is always something larger than what is large.

Anaxagoras
Wrongly do the Greeks suppose that aught begins or ceases to be; for nothing comes into being or is destroyed; but all is an aggregation or secretion of pre-existent things: so that all-becoming might more correctly be called becoming-mixed, and all corruption, becoming-separate.

Anaxagoras
The Greeks are wrong to recognize coming into being and perishing; for nothing comes into being nor perishes, but is rather compounded or dissolved from things that are. So they would be right to call coming into being composition and perishing dissolution.

Anaxagoras
For air and aether are being separated out from the quantity of what surrounds, and what surrounds is unlimited in amount.

Anaxagoras
The Greeks do not think correctly about coming-to-be and passing-away; for no thing comes to be or passes away, but is mixed together and dissociated from the things that are. And thus they would be correct to call coming-to-be mixing-together and passing-away dissociating

Anaxagoras
Thought is something limitless and independent, and has been mixed with no thing but is alone by itself.... What was mingled with it would have prevented it from having power over anything in the way in which it does.... For it is the finest of all things and the purest.

Anaxagoras
The contents of the cosmos are not separated from each other or cut of by an axe not the hot from the cold nor the cold from the hot.

Anaxagoras
And since the portions of the great and the small are equal in number, so too all things would be in everything. Nor is it possible that they should exist apart, but all things have a portion of everything.

Anaxagoras
And since these things are so, we must suppose that there are contained many things and of all sorts in the things that are uniting, seeds of all things, with all sorts of shapes and colours and savours

Anaxagoras
The Greeks follow a wrong usage in speaking of coming into being and passing away; for nothing comes into being or passes away, but there is mingling and separation of things that are. So they would be right to call coming into being mixture, and passing away separation.

Anaxagoras
There is no smallest among the small and no largest among the large, But always something still smaller and something still larger.

Anaxagoras