Anaxagoras, a Greek philosopher, was born at Clazomenae in Asia
Minor in 500 B.C. Migrating to Athens he became an intimate of Pericles
and could easily be said to be the intellectual spokesman of his circle and to
have formulated its outlook on the theoretical side. Anaxagoras was perhaps
the most germinal of all Greek philosophers. He anticipated the views of
those who postulated a First Mover to set in action the physical universe. This
First Mover he called 'nous' or 'mind'. He also anticipated the Aristotelean
doctrine of actuality and potentiality. His point of view seems to have been
founded on biological observation. As a friend of Pericles he was under
constant attack and was charged with impiety. This was a not uncommon
charge brought against the more progressive thinkers of Greece.

Perhaps the greatest name in Greek philosophy. He was born in 384 B.C.
in Thrace and is said to have been a tutor of Alexander the Great. In any
event, his father was court physician at the Macedonian court and all his
life he seems to have been very close to the Macedonian interest. For
twenty years he studied under Plato and only seems to have broken with the
Academy after Plato's death and the appointment of Plato's nephew
Speusippus as Head of the Academy. It is impossible in a sentence or two to
summarize the philosophy of Aristotle. Although in some minor details he
broke with his master, Plato, he kept for the most part a similar teleological
and idealistic approach. It is very probable that Aristotle's association with
the Macedonian court influenced to a very great degree his theoretical
formulations. In the crisis of relations between Athens and Macedon he
voluntarily withdrew into exile explaining that the Athenians should not sin
against philosophy twice. He died in 322 B.C.

Sir Francis Bacon, the brilliant philosopher and essayist, was Lord
Chancellor of England. His birth took place in 1561. He was trained as a
barrister but is chiefly remembered for the books he wrote. Bacon could be
described as the theoretician of the Renaissance in England. His great work,
the Novum Organum, was published in January 27, 1626. It is a passionate
plea for the reorganization of knowledge both as regards method and
regards content. It represents a definite break with scholastic tradition which
was still dominant in the universities of England at the time. Ironically
enough his death was probably brought on by bronchitis as a result at an
attempt at scientific experiment carried on in the snow. This was on April
9th, 1626.

Julius Caesar was equally eminent as general, statesman, orator and
writer. He was born in 102 or 100 B.C. Caesar was the leader of the revolu-
tionary forces in the Roman Republic through a long life time. In the

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