Partitioning the Soul: Debates from Plato to Leibniz (Topoi Berlin Studies of the Ancient World/Topoi Berliner Studien der Alten Welt, 22)

Does the soul have parts? What kind of parts? And how do all the parts make together a whole? Many ancient, medieval and early modern philosophers discussed these questions, thus providing a mereological analysis of the soul. Their starting point was a simple observation: we tend to describe the soul of human beings by referring to different types of activities (perceiving, imagining, thinking, etc.). Each type of activity seems to be produced by a special part of the soul. But how can a simple, undivided soul have parts? Classical thinkers gave radically different answers to this question. While some claimed that there are indeed parts, thus assigning an internal complexity to the soul, others emphasized that there can only be a plurality of functions that should not be conflated with a plurality of parts. The eleven chapters reconstruct and critically examine these answers. They make clear that the metaphysical structure of the soul was a crucial issue for ancient, medieval and early modern philosophers. Die Reihe Topoi. Berlin Studies of the Ancient World versammelt Beitrge aus allen altertumswissenschaftlichen Disziplinen, von der Ur- und Frhgeschichte ber die Klassische Archologie bis zur antiken Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Theologie. Einen Schwerpunkt bilden Monographien und Sammelbnde, in denen die Forschungsergebnisse des Exzellenzclusters Topoi vorgestellt werden. Weitere Schwerpunkte sind in Planung. Das Exzellenzcluster Topoi untersucht die Formation und Transformation von Raum und Wissen in den antiken Zivilisationen. Topoi wird von der Freien Universitt Berlin und der Humboldt-Universitt zu Berlin gemeinsam getragen. Partner sind die Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, das Deutsche Archologische Institut, das Max-Planck-Institut fr Wissenschaftsgeschichte und die Stiftung Preuischer Kulturbesitz. Topoi ist darber hinaus mit vielen weiteren universitren und aueruniversitren Einrichtungen vernetzt. Nheres unter (http://www.topoi.org) www.topoi.org . Ausgewhlte Titel aus der Reihe Topoi. Berliner Studien der Alten Welt werden gleichzeitig mit dem Erscheinen als Buch auch in digitaler Form im Internet frei zugnglich gemacht. Die Reihe versteht sich als Pilotprojekt fr eine Verbindung des open-access-Gedankens mit der verlegerischen Betreuung von wissenschaftlichen Publikationen. Siehe Presseinformation vom 23. Juni 2009. Introduction / Klaus Corcilius And Dominik Perler -- Plato's Divided Soul / Christopher Shields -- Parts In Aristotle's Definition Of Soul : De Anima Books I And Ii / Thomas K. Johansen -- Walking And Talking : Reflections On Divisions Of The Soul In Stoicism / Brad Inwood -- Partitioning The Soul : Galen On The Anatomy Of The Psychic Functions And Mental Illness / Robert J. Hankinson -- Parts Of The Soul In Plotinus / Filip Karfík -- Iamblichus, Proclus And Philoponus On Parts, Capacities And Ousiai Of The Soul And The Notion Of Life / Christopher Helmig -- Ockham On Emotions In The Divided Soul / Dominik Perler -- Virtual Presence : Psychic Mereology In Francisco Suárez / Christopher Shields -- The Faces Of Simplicity In Descartes's Soul / Dominik Perler -- Spinoza On The Unity Of Will And Intellect / Stephan Schmid -- The Great Chain Of Souls : Leibniz On Soul Unitarism And Soul Kinds / Christian Barth. Edited By Klaus Corcilius, Domink Perler. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. "Does the soul have parts? What kind of parts? And how do all the parts make together a whole? Many ancient, medieval and early modern philosophers discussed these questions, thus providing a mereological analysis of the soul. The eleven chapters reconstruct and critically examine radically different theories. They make clear that the question of how a single soul can have an internal complexity was a crucial issue for many classical thinkers"--Provided by publisher Does the soul have parts? What kind of parts? And how do all the parts make together a whole? Many ancient, medieval and early modern philosophers discussed these questions, thus providing a mereological analysis of the soul. In this book, the eleven chapters reconstruct and critically examine radically different theories.