ABSTRACT
N0pre-Socraticsystemhasbeenstudiedmoreintensivelythan thatofAnaxagoras,andnonewithbetterreasonsincebycommon consentitisoneofthemostbrilliantproductsofthegreatageof Greekspeculation.Tannery,Burnet,Giussani,Bailey,Cornford, Peckandmanyothershavelabouredtoreconstructit.1Manyof thedetailshavebeenclarifiedbytheirresearches.Butnoconsensusofbeliefhasyetbeenreachedonthemainlinesofthe system.Theextentofthedisagreementiswiderandsharperthan onewouldeverguessfromthecomplacentsimplificationsofthe schoolbooks.2CyrilBailey,whoofferedsomeyearsagoanoriginal interpretationofthesystem,nowconcedesthat'asyetnosolution seemstohavebeenreachedwhichisbothtenableinitselfandwill tallywiththeextantfragments'.3Thepresentreconstructionis offeredinthehopethattheproblem,howeverformidable,isnot insoluble.4Itproceedsbywayofafreshexaminationofthe relevantfragments,seekingtocomprehendthemfirstofallby comparisonwithcontemporarydoctrines,especiallythatof Empedocles.Itisguidedthroughoutbytheconvictionthat Anaxagorascanbeunderstoodonlyintermsofhisimmediate philosophicalheritagethatdefinedtheproblemshetriedto solveandequippedhimwithassumptionsthatarepresupposed inhisboldestinnovations.
