Note Details
- Stage: soil ✨
- Type: Term
- Topics: philosophy, consciousness
Nous (Greek: nous) is a term from classical philosophy meaning mind, intellect, or the faculty of rational thought. In ancient Greek philosophy, nous represents the highest form of knowing — direct, intuitive apprehension of truth rather than reasoning or sensory perception. For Plato, nous is the mind’s eye that perceives the Forms; for Aristotle, it is the active intellect that grasps first principles. In Neoplatonism, Nous is the second emanation from the One — the divine mind containing all the intelligible Forms.