Quote by Anaxagoras: “Mind is the ruler of all things.”

Anaxagoras proposed something radical: the organizing principle of the universe is not a god with human form but something like pure intelligence or mind — a force that set matter into motion and continues to govern it. It was one of the first steps toward a naturalistic rather than mythological view of cosmic order.

Anaxagoras was the first known professional philosopher to work in Athens, where he was associated with the circle of Pericles during the golden age of Athenian democracy. His claim that the sun was a hot rock rather than a god proved deeply unpopular and ultimately led to his prosecution and exile from the city.

Greek philosopher from Clazomenae who lived approximately 500–428 BCE and was the first philosopher to settle in Athens. He proposed that the cosmos was organized by a divine mind (nous) and that all matter was originally mixed together before being differentiated. He was put on trial in Athens for impiety and forced into exile.