#286 - Anaxagoras

#286 - Anaxagoras

From Books of Titans Podcast by Erik Rostad

April 10, 2026 · 21 min

About this episode

This episode covers the life and ideas of Anaxagoras, a pivotal figure in the history of philosophy.

In this podcast episode, I cover the life and ideas of Anaxagoras of Clazomenae. His first principle, the thing that organized everything else, was the nous or the mind. He thought that in the beginning, there was an original mixture of unchanging seeds that a mind set in motion and began to organize. Anaxagoras was born in Asia Minor and moved to Athens, becoming one of the first philosophers to establish Athens as a hub of philosophy. In fact, Anaxagoras is a philosophical grandfather to Socrates through his student Archelaus. Socrates learned from Archelaus who learned from Anaxagoras. Books Referenced: * Early Greek Philosophy - Translation by Jonathan Barnes - Penguin Classics * The First Philosophers - Translation by Robin Waterfield - Oxford World’s Classics * Lives of the Eminent Philosophers - Diogenes Laertius - Loeb Classical Library This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.booksoftitans.com/subscribe

People in this episode

Host: Erik Rostad

Topics covered

  • philosophy
  • Anaxagoras
  • Socrates
  • history of thought
  • Greek philosophy

Keywords

  • Anaxagoras
  • Socrates
  • philosophy
  • nous
  • Greek philosophy
  • Archelaus
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Jonathan Barnes, Robin Waterfield, Diogenes Laertius

Books & works: Early Greek Philosophy, The First Philosophers, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers

Places: Asia Minor, Athens

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