Aristotle on earlier Greek psychology : ‡b the science of soul / ‡c Jason W. Carter, University of Edinburgh

"This volume is the first in English to provide a full, systematic investigation into Aristotle's criticisms of earlier Greek theories of the soul from the perspective of his theory of scientific explanation. Some interpreters of the De Anima have seen Aristotle's criticisms of Presocratic, Platonic, and other views about the soul as unfair or dialectical, but Jason W. Carter argues that Aristotle's criticisms are in fact a justified attempt to test the adequacy of earlier theories in terms of the theory of scientific knowledge he advances in the Posterior Analytics. Carter proposes a new interpretation of Aristotle's confrontations with earlier psychology, showing how his reception of other Greek philosophers shaped his own hylomorphic psychology and led him to adopt a novel dualist theory of the soul-body relation. His book will be important for students and scholars of Aristotle, ancient Greek psychology, and the history of the mind-body problem."--Résumé de l'éditeur "This volume is the first in English to provide a full, systematic investigation into Aristotle's criticisms of earlier Greek theories of the soul from the perspective of his theory of scientific explanation. Some interpreters of the De Anima have seen Aristotle's criticisms of Presocratic, Platonic, and other views about the soul as unfair or dialectical, but Jason W. Carter argues that Aristotle's criticisms are in fact a justified attempt to test the adequacy of earlier theories in terms of the theory of scientific knowledge he advances in the Posterior Analytics. Carter proposes a new interpretation of Aristotle's confrontations with earlier psychology, showing how his reception of other Greek philosophers shaped his own hylomorphic psychology and led him to adopt a novel dualist theory of the soul-body relation. His book will be important for students and scholars of Aristotle, ancient Greek psychology, and the history of the mind-body problem."--Résumé de l'éditeur 9781108481076_frontmatter......Page 1 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Abbreviations......Page 11 Introduction to Hylomorphic Psychology......Page 15 Definition, Explanation and Psychological Inquiry......Page 33 Definition, Explanation and the Soul–Body Relation......Page 59 Plato’s Psychology......Page 69 Democritus’ Psychology......Page 89 Xenocrates’ Psychology......Page 113 Harmonic Psychology......Page 133 Empedocles’ Psychology......Page 151 Anaxagoras’ Psychology......Page 176 The Puzzle of the Soul’s Uniformity......Page 199 The Puzzle of the Soul’s Divisibility......Page 212 Conclusion: Hylomorphic Psychology as a Dualism......Page 225 Bibliography......Page 234 Index Locorum......Page 249 General Index......Page 258 This is the first book in English to explore Aristotle's criticisms of earlier Greek theories of the soul. It investigates Aristotle's hylomorphic psychology and its relevance for early modern and modern philosophy. It will appeal to readers interested in Aristotle, ancient Greek psychology, and the history of the mind-body problem.