PHIL 203 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: On The Soul, Nicomachean Ethics, Eudaimonia
3 May 2018
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History of Ancient Philosophy
11.09 Lecture Notes – De Anima
- Actuality and potentiality
- Matter = potentiality, form = actuality
- Problem with substantial change for Aristotle – determining what was the thing that
persisted (out of the three requirements for change, #1 was difficult for Aristotle)
- In the case of accidental change, what persists is the substance
- In a substantial change, what persists it the matter
- In terms of the elements changing – prime matter allows for elements
Chapter 1 of Book 2 of De Anima
- Cartesian notion of the soul – thing that is separate from the body, immaterial thing that
has cognitive functions
o Believes that animals, besides humans, do not have souls
- All objects are the compound of matter and form – gets complicated when applied to
organic matter
- Every natural body which has life has matter and also partakes in characteristic activities
o We have to explain these activities either through matter or form
o Cannot explain through the matter (or the body)
o The soul must be a form of a natural body having life potentially within it
o Due to the arrangement of the parts of the body, the body has potentiality of
life, and when they are living, that potentiality is actualized, which is the soul
o When you have a case of a living body, you have a case of actualized potentiality
– ou should’t thik of the soul as separate fro the od
o You a’t e alie ithout a soul ad ie ersa
o Every living thing has a soul
o After some human dies, the soul does’t eist aore eause there has been
a substantial change
- For humans, there are two kinds of actuality – 1) knowing, 2) reflecting
o Two human conditions
- His metaphysical views are very interconnected with his other theories
Side note: Thomas Willis
- British anatomist who made careful observations of the brain
- Came to the conclusion that the soul is distributed throughout the brain – in terms of
the Aristotelian sense of the soul
The Ethics
- Nicomachean ethics
- Eudenian ethics
o Eudeius as Aristotle’s friend
- Both works cover more or less the same ground – Eudaimonia (Greek for happiness)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Problem with substantial change for aristotle determining what was the thing that persisted (out of the three requirements for change, #1 was difficult for aristotle) In the case of accidental change, what persists is the substance. In a substantial change, what persists it the matter. In terms of the elements changing prime matter allows for elements. Chapter 1 of book 2 of de anima. Cartesian notion of the soul thing that is separate from the body, immaterial thing that has cognitive functions: believes that animals, besides humans, do not have souls. All objects are the compound of matter and form gets complicated when applied to organic matter. For humans, there are two kinds of actuality 1) knowing, 2) reflecting: two human conditions. His metaphysical views are very interconnected with his other theories. British anatomist who made careful observations of the brain.
