Aristotle's On the Soul aims to uncover the principle of life, what Aristotle calls psuchē (soul). For Aristotle, soul is the form which gives life to a body and causes all its living activities, from breathing to thinking. Aristotle develops a general account of all types of living through examining soul's causal powers. The thirteen new essays in this Critical Guide demonstrate the profound influence of Aristotle's inquiry on biology, psychology and philosophy of mind from antiquity to the present. They deepen our understanding of his key concepts, including form, reason, capacity, and activity. This volume situates Aristotle in his intellectual context and draws judiciously from his other works as well as the history of interpretation to shed light on his intricate views. It also highlights ongoing interpretive debates and Aristotle's continuing relevance. It will prove invaluable for researchers in ancient philosophy and the history of science and ideas.
Edited by:
Caleb Cohoe
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 16mm
Weight: 429g
ISBN: 9781108725262
ISBN 10: 1108725260
Series: Cambridge Critical Guides
Pages: 293
Publication Date: 04 April 2024
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of contributors; Acknowledgments; List of abbreviations; Introduction Caleb M. Cohoe; 1. Hylomorphic explanation and the scientific status of the DE Anima C. D. C. Reeve; 2. Aristotle on earlier definitions of soul and their explanatory power: DA 1.2-5 Jason W. Carter; 3. Why nous cannot be a magnitude: DE anima 1.3 Krisanna Scheiter; 4. Souls among forms: Harmonies and Aristotle's hylomorphism Christopher Shields; 5. Aristotle on the soul's unity Christopher Frey; 6. Aristotle on seed Jessica Gelber; 7. The gate to reality: Aristotle's basic account of perception Klaus Corcilius; 8. Aristotle on the objects of perception Mark a. Johnstone; 9. Awareness and self-awareness in the Aristotelian tradition Katerina Ierodiakonou; 10. Phantasia and error Rosemary Twomey; 11. Intelligibility, insight, and intelligence Sean Kelsey; 12. The separability of nous Caleb M. Cohoe; 13. Thought and imagination: Aristotle's dual process psychology of action Caleb M. Cohoe; Bibliography; Index.
Caleb Cohoe is Professor of Philosophy at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He has published numerous articles on ancient philosophy in journals including Apeiron, the British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Philosophical Quarterly and Phronesis.
Reviews for Aristotle's On the Soul: A Critical Guide
'Aristotle's On the Soul: A Critical Guide represents an important step towards showing that Aristotle's ideas are relevant to twenty-first century investigations of the mind … The book offers a number of well-researched and philosophically interesting engagements with Aristotle's text.' Justin Humphreys, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
