Anaxagoras on Matter: A Critical Study

Abstract

The central theme of the present study is to explain and examine what Anaxagoras thought on matter. Seed, opposite and original mixture are the key concepts of his notion of matter. The seeds and opposite are the prime ingredients of the existing things of the phenomenal world. Opposites are not to be considered here as quality. The opposites are one of the prime ingredients of seeds as natural substances. Macroscopic things of the phenomenal world are the product of the seeds and opposites and are the miniature of the original mixture as well as seeds. All the macroscopic things of the phenomenal world have the portion of everything. To discuss Anaxagoras’ notion of matter we find that he believed all the produced things were pre-exist in the seeds as well as original mixture. So, we critically examine whether Anaxagoras’ notion of matter allows us to consider him a satkᾱrya-vᾱdin or not.