Aristotle's On the Soul
- Wesgtr
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Aristotle's On the Soul
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Re: Aristotle's On the Soul
I think the sections on plant and animal souls are important for orienting us for reading about something that has a long history both before Aristotle, which he addresses, and after him, which he could not and which is often a stumbling block for understanding what he does and does not mean by the term translated as ‘soul’. The problem, however, extends to terms such as ‘matter’ which does not have for Aristotle the meaning it does for contemporary physics or Descartes, and this is important to see if one wishes to compare this text with Descartes.
- Wesgtr
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Re: Aristotle's On the Soul
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Re: Aristotle's On the Soul
I don’t think he does say that soul is matter. What he asks is whether the soul can exist without body. His answer is that perhaps there can in the case of noein, that is, thinking or understanding:…. why would aristotle say the soul is matter when he refers to thinking and the like in the text.
With the possible exception of noein Aristotle does not separate soul and body, but, rather, is concerned with ensouled or living bodies.It appears that in most cases the soul is not affected, nor does it act apart from the body, e.g., in being angry, being confident, wanting, and in all perceiving.
although noein looks most like being peculiar to the soul. But if this too is a form of imagination or does not exist apart from imagination, it would not be possible even for this to be apart from the body. (On the Soul, 403a7-10)
The soul must, then, be substance qua form of a natural body which has life potentially. (412a19-20)
And substance (οὐσία) as form is actuality. The soul, therefore, will be the actuality of a body of this kind. (412a19-22)
- LazyPasta
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Re: Aristotle's On the Soul
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