On the soul Part 1 Soul as form of the body, parts of the soul, nourishment, and perception Alexander of Aphrodisias ; translated with an introduction and commentary by Victor Caston.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Alexander, of Aphrodisias, author.

Contributor:

Caston, Victor, 1963- editor.

Series:

Ancient commentators on Aristotle.

Ancient commentators on Aristotle

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Soul.

Mind and body.

Perception (Philosophy).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (257 p.)

Other Title:

Soul as form of the body, parts of the soul, nourishment, and perception

Place of Publication:

London Bristol Classical Press 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Around 200 AD, the greatest defender and interpreter of Aristotle within his school, Alexander of Aphrodisias, composed his own book On the Soul, partly following the pattern of Aristotle's. In the first half, translated in Part I, he discusses the soul as the form of the body, and the idea of parts or powers that constitute the soul of living things, including the two lowest powers: nutrition and perception. In the second half, to be translated in Part II, he discusses perception, representation, desire, understanding and - a notion emphasised by the Stoics - the governing part of the soul. He takes the soul to consist of these powers, which supervene on the mixture of the body's elemental ingredients, just as inanimate powers like buoyancy or lightness can supervene on other qualities. They are new, emergent causal powers of the living thing, which do not belong to the constituent ingredients of the body in themselves. Through his notion of emergence, he seeks to steer between the Platonic dualism of soul and body and the extreme materialism of his Stoic rivals."--Bloomsbury Publishing

Around 200 AD, the greatest defender and interpreter of Aristotle within his school, Alexander of Aphrodisias, composed his own book On the Soul, partly following the pattern of Aristotle's. In the first half, translated in this volume, he discusses the soul as the form of the body, and the idea of parts or powers that constitute the soul of living things, including the two lowest powers: nutrition and perception. In the second half, translated in Part II, he discusses perception, representation, desire, understanding and - a notion emphasised by the Stoics - the governing part of the soul. He takes the soul to consist of these powers, which supervene on the mixture of the body's elemental ingredients, just as inanimate powers like buoyancy or lightness can supervene on other qualities. They are new, emergent causal powers of the living thing, which do not belong to the constituent ingredients of the body in themselves. Through his notion of emergence, he seeks to steer between the Platonic dualism of soul and body and the extreme materialism of his Stoic rivals. This volume contains the first English translation of the work, as well as a detailed introduction, extensive explanatory notes and a bibliography.

Contents:

Preface

Introduction

Textual

Emendations

TRANSLATION

Notes

Bibliography

English-Greek

Glossary

Greek-English

Index

Index of

Passages

Cited

Subject

Index

Notes:

In memoriam Robert W. Sharples 1949-2010

Includes bibliographical references and index

ISBN:

9781472551665

1472551664

9781472501721

1472501721

OCLC:

875819415