Teachings of Aristotle "On the Soul". The concept of "soul". Metaphysics of Aristotle

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Many achievements of modern scientific thought are based on discoveries made in ancient Greece. For example, Aristotle's teaching "On the Soul" is used by those who are trying to explain what is happening in our universe, to delve into the network of nature. It would seem that in two thousand years it was possible to come up with something new, but discoveries on a scale comparable to what the ancient Greek philosopher gave to the world did not happen. Have you read at least one treatise of Aristotle? Not? Then let's deal with his immortal thoughts.

Reasoning or basis?

The most interesting thing in the study of historical figures is the question of how such thoughts arose in the head of an ancient person. Of course, we won't know for sure. Aristotle's treatise "Metaphysics" nevertheless gives some idea of the course of his reasoning. The ancient philosopher tried to determine how organisms differ from stones, soil, water and other objects related to inanimate nature. Some breathe, are born and die, others are unchanging in time. In order to describe his conclusions, the philosopher had to create his own conceptual apparatus. With this problem, scientistsoften collide. They lack words, definitions to build and develop a theory. Aristotle had to introduce new concepts, which are described in his immortal work Metaphysics. In the text, he discusses what the heart and souls are, tries to explain how plants differ from animals. Much later, this treatise formed the basis for the creation of two trends in the philosophy of materialism and idealism. Aristotle's doctrine of the soul has features of both. The scientist considers the world from the point of view of the relationship between matter and form, tries to find out which of them is primary and manages the processes in one case or another.

About souls

A living organism must have something responsible for its organization, carrying out leadership. Aristotle defined the soul as such an organ. It cannot exist without a body, or rather, it does not feel anything. There is this unknown substance not only in humans and animals, but also in plants. Everything that is born and dies, known in the ancient world, according to its thoughts, is endowed with a soul. It is the vital principle of the body, which cannot exist without it. In addition, souls guide organisms, build them and direct them. They organize the meaningful activity of all living things. Here we mean not a thought process, but a natural one. The plant, according to the ancient Greek thinker, also develops, produces leaves and bears fruit according to the plan of the soul. It is this fact that distinguishes living nature from the dead. The first has something that allows you to perform meaningful actions, namely, to prolong the genus. The physical body and soul are connectedinextricably. They are, in fact, one. From this idea, the philosopher deduces the need for a dual method of research. The soul is a concept that must be studied by natural scientists and dialecticians. It is impossible to describe its properties and mechanisms completely, relying only on one research method.

Three kinds of souls

Aristotle, developing his theory, tries to separate plants from thinking beings. So, he introduces the concept of "kinds of souls." There are three in total. In his opinion, the bodies are led by:

• vegetable (nutritional);
• animal;
• reasonable.

The first soul is responsible for the process of digestion, it also manages the function of reproduction. It can be observed in plants. But Aristotle de alt with this topic little, concentrating more on higher souls. The second is responsible for the movement and sensations of organisms. It belongs to animals. The third soul is immortal, human. It differs from the rest in that it is an organ of thought, a particle of the divine mind.

Heart and soul

The philosopher did not consider the brain as the central organ of the body, as it is today. He assigned this role to the heart. In addition, according to his theory, the soul dwelt in the blood. The body reacts to external stimuli. He perceives the world by hearing, smelling, seeing, and so on. Everything that the sense organs have fixed is subjected to analysis. The organ that does this is the soul. Animals, for example, are able to perceive the surrounding space and meaningfully respond to stimuli. They, as the scientist wrote, are characterized by such abilities,as sensation, imagination, memory, movement, sensual striving. The latter refers to the emergence of deeds and actions to implement them. The philosopher gives the concept of "soul" as follows: "The form of a living organic body." That is, organisms have something that distinguishes them from stones or sand. It is their essence that makes them alive.

Animals

Aristotle's teaching about the soul contains a description of all organisms known at that time, their classification. The philosopher believed that animals are composed of homemeria, that is, small particles. Everyone has a source of heat - pneuma. This is a kind of body that exists in the ether and passes through the genus through the paternal seed. The scientist calls the heart the carrier of pneuma. Nutrients enter it through the veins and are distributed throughout the body by blood. Aristotle did not accept Plato's idea that the soul is divided into many parts. The eye cannot have a separate organ of life. In his opinion, one can speak of only two hypostases of the soul - mortal and divine. The first perished with the body, the second seemed to him eternal.

Man

Mind distinguishes people from the rest of the living world. Aristotle's doctrine of the soul contains a detailed analysis of the mental functions of man. Thus, he singles out logical processes that differ from intuition. He calls wisdom the highest form of thinking. A person in the process of activity is capable of feelings that affect his physiology. The philosopher examines in detail what will is, which is peculiar only to people. He calls it a meaningful social process, its manifestation is connectedwith the concept of duty and responsibility. Virtue, according to Aristotle, is the middle between the passions that control a person. It should be striven for. He highlights the following virtues:

• courage;
• generosity;
• prudence;
• modesty;
• truthfulness and others.

Morals and upbringing

It is interesting that Aristotle's "Metaphysics" is a teaching about the soul, which has a practical character. The philosopher tried to tell his contemporaries how to remain human and raise children in the same spirit. So, he wrote that virtues are not given from birth. On the contrary, we come into the world with passions. They should learn to bridle in order to find the middle. Every person should strive to manifest goodness in himself. The child should develop not only a reaction to stimuli, but also the correct attitude to actions. This is how a moral personality is formed. In addition, Aristotle's writings express, and now relevant, the idea that the approach to education should be individual, and not averaged. What is good for one is incomprehensible or bad for another.

Conclusion

Aristotle is rightfully considered the founder of all sciences. He gave the concept of how to approach the formulation and consideration of problems, how to conduct a discussion. From other ancient authors, he is distinguished by the dryness (scientific) presentation. The ancient thinker tried to formulate the foundations of ideas about nature. The theory turned out to be so capacious that until nownow gives food for thought to the current representatives of science who develop his ideas. Many today are very interested in how Aristotle was able to penetrate so deeply into the essence of things.