Everything in Everything: Anaxagoras's MetaphysicsAnaxagoras of Clazomenae (Vth century BCE) is best known in the history of philosophy for his stance that there is a share of everything in everything. He puts forward this theory of extreme mixture as a solution to the problem of change he and his contemporaries inherited from Parmenides - that what is cannot come from what is not (and vice versa). Yet, for ancient and modern scholars alike, the metaphysical significance of Anaxagoras's position has proven challenging to understanding. In Everything in Everything, Anna Marmodoro offers a fresh interpretation of Anaxagoras's theory of mixture, arguing for its soundness and also relevance to contemporary debates in metaphysics. For Anaxagoras the fundamental elements of reality are the opposites (hot, cold, wet, dry, etc.), which Marmodoro argues are instances of physical causal powers. The unchanging opposites compose mereologically, forming (phenomenologically) emergent wholes. Everything in the universe (except nous) derives from the opposites. The opposite exist as endlessly partitioned; they can be scattered everywhere and be in everything. Mardomoro further shows that their extreme mixture is made possible by the omni-presence and hence com-presence in the universe, which is in turn facilitated by the limitless divisibility of the opposites. Anaxagoras tackles the logical consequences of the limitless divisibility of the elements. He is the first ante litteram 'gunk lover' in the history of metaphysics. He also has a unique conception of (non-material) gunk and a unique power ontology, which Marmodoro refers to as 'power gunk'. Marmodoro investigates the nature of power gunk and the explanatory utility of the concept for Anaxagoras, for his theory of extreme mixture. Whilst most defenders of an atomless universe nowadays argue for material gunk as a conceptual possibility (only), Anaxagoras argues for power gunk as the ontology of nature. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 The Fundamental Items in the Ontology | 11 |
2 The Principles Governing the Ontology | 46 |
3 A Theory of Extreme Mixture | 74 |
4 Compresence versus Containment of the Opposites | 105 |
5 Intelligent Powers | 129 |
6 Stoic Gunk | 156 |
Conclusions | 186 |
| 191 | |
| 199 | |
| 213 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
according actual allow alternative Anaxagoras Anaxagoras’s Anaxagoras’s ontology argue argument Aristotle Aristotle’s become blend bodies causal causal powers chapter claim cold colocation comes composition compresence conception concerning conclusion constitution contains cosmic derive developed discussion distinction divided division earth elements entities everything evidence examined example exist explain extreme mixture fact follows fundamental further give given gunk gunky hand holds hylē increase individual infinite ingredients instance intensity interaction interpretation introduced kind material matter means metaphysical mixed mixture move nature nous objects ontology opposites particles philosophical physical pneuma position possible potentiality powers preponderance present principle properties qualitative question reading reason refer region relation requires respect result says seeds sense separate shares smaller space Stoics structure stuffs substances texts textual theory things thought tion tropes understand universe unlimited unlimitedly καὶ