Aristotle's On the Soul
A Critical Guide

Thirteen newly-commissioned essays that deepen our understanding of Aristotle's key concepts, including living, form, reason, and capacity.

Caleb Cohoe (Edited by)

9781108725262, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 4 April 2024

294 pages
22.9 x 15.1 x 1.7 cm, 0.43 kg

'[This] book provides an excellent overview along with challenging interpretations of key philosophical problems discussed in Aristotle's DA. It deserves a place on philosophers' bookshelves.' Attila Hangai, Journal of the History of Philosophy

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500 [HPCA], History of Western philosophy [HPC], Philosophy [HP], Humanities [H]