Nous | Greek philosophy | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Also known as: noos

Written and fact-checked by

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Greek:

“mind” or “intellect”

nous, in philosophy, the faculty of intellectual apprehension and of intuitive thought. Used in a narrower sense, it is distinguished from discursive thought and applies to the apprehension of eternal intelligible substances and first principles. It is sometimes identified with the highest or divine intellect.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.