Philosophumena; or, The refutation of all heresies, Volume I — David Hume — John Shaqi
Philosophumena; or, The refutation of all heresies, Volume I
David Hume · en
7. _About Anaxagoras._
After him was Anaxagoras of Clazomene, son of Hegesibulus. He said
that the beginning of the universe was mind and matter, mind being the
creator and matter that which came unto being.[70] For that when all
things were together, mind came and arranged them. He says, however,
that the material principles are boundless, even the smallest of them.
And that all things partake of movement, being [Sidenote: p. 21.] moved
by mind, and that like things come together. And that the things in
heaven were set in order by their circular motion.[71] That therefore
what was dense and moist and dark and cold and everything heavy came
together in the middle, and from the compacting of this the earth was
established;[72] but that the opposites, to wit, the hot, the brilliant
and the light were drawn off to the distant æther. Also that the earth
is fat in shape and remains suspended[73] through its great size, and
from there being no void and because the air which is strongest bears
(up) the upheld earth. And that the sea exists from the moisture on
the earth and the waters in it evaporating and then condensing in a
hollow place;[74] and that the sea is supposed to have come into being
by this and from the rivers flowing into it. And the rivers, too, are
established by the rains and the waters within the earth; for the earth
is hollow and holds water in its cavities. But that the Nile increases
in summer when the snows from the northern parts are carried down into
it. And that the sun and moon and all the stars are burning stones and
are [Sidenote: p. 22.] carried about by the rotation of the æther.
And that below the stars are the sun and moon and certain bodies not
seen by us whirled round together. And that the heat of the stars is
not felt by us because of their great distance from the earth; but yet
their heat is not like that of the sun from their occupying a colder
region. Also that the moon is below the sun and nearer to us; and that
the size of the sun is greater than that of the Peloponnesus. And that
the moon has no light of her own, but only one from the sun. And that
the revolution of the stars takes place under the earth. Also that the
moon is eclipsed when the earth stands in her way, and sometimes the
stars which are below the moon,[75] and the sun when the moon stands
in his way during new moons. And that both the sun and moon make
turnings (solstices) when driven back by the air; but that the moon
turns often through not being able to master the cold. He was the first
to determine the facts about eclipses and renewals of light.[76] And
he said that the moon was like the earth and had within it plains and
ravines. And that the Milky Way was the reflection of the light of the
stars which are not lighted up by the sun. And that the shooting stars
[Sidenote: p. 23.] are as it were sparks which glance off from the
movement of the pole. And that winds are produced by the rarefaction