Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Department of Philosophy - Philosophy, Science and the Sciences

Thesis: Passive intellect in Aristotle and commentators

In DA III.4 Aristotle bases his analysis of thinking on the model of being affected (πάσχειν) developped in II.5 for perception. The corresponding capacity of human thought will later be known as „receptive intellect“ (νοῦς παθητικός). What is the motivation and what are the systematic consequences of coining this concept? Much attention will be paid to Theophrastus' aporetic reception of the Aristotelian „noetics“ with the aim of formulating properly the dilemmas which were going to be addressed in the subsequent tradition and how they originate in Aristotle's text. The focus will be on the problem of natural essences as intelligible objects, on the causal role that the so-called productive intellect might play in the process of „grasping“ these essences (in Alexander, Ps.-Alexander and Themistius)  and on the attempts of later commentators to assimilate Aristotle´s conception to the Platonic theory of recollection (Philoponus, Ps. Philoponus, Simplicius, Priscianus).

CV

Stays abroad

Contact: robert.roreitner@fulbrightmail.org