Nous

article: 6560 words: The ancient Greek term (νοῦς) is generally translated into English as mind, spirit, intellect or intelligence. It is the part of the human being or soul which thinks, focuses, analyzes, understands, and makes decisions to provide direction in one’s life.
There are a number of variations [such as: νόησις (noêsis), διάνοια (dianoia), the infinitive νοεῖν (noein), etc.] which likewise indicate purely mental activities, such as the act of comprehension, which is especially relevant in Greek epistemology. These terms acquire more specific definition in ancient philosophical studies as to the operation of the mind and the differentiation of its functions. The authors below generally associate the intellect with higher knowledge, that is, intuitive understanding, divine Wisdom, or obtaining wisdom or virtues.
This exposition is by no means comprehensive. It focuses primarily on salient examples from the teachings of ancient authors, in particular Greek philosophers whose conceptualization of the term nous was influential in Christian literature. The attention is focused on: Anaxagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Philo, Plotinus, and Augustine. From Plato onward, the main interest of these authors is the conception of the intellect in the divine world, its role in the world of humans, then, of the human intellect and how one makes contact with the divine or becomes godlike. These conceptions of nous represent some of the greatest innovations in antiquity. In early Christian literature, the usage of the nous was widespread. For that reason, this entry only treats Augustine, because many of his elaborations on the intellect illustrated here are shared in some way either by earlier or later Christian exegetes.