This seminar will focus on Aristotle's theory of the intellect as
a power of the human soul in de Anima III.4-8. We will ask what the
objects of the intellect are; in what sense the act of "intellecting" is an action of the object on the intellect; how the
relationship between the intellect and its objects is like and unlike
the relationship between the power of perception and its objects; how
the power to "intellect" objects is related to the power to make
truth-apt judgments. We will discuss the famous chapter (III.5) on the
so-called active intellect, and also the relationship between the
intellect and the human body. We will also read Chapter 9 of Book Lambda
of Aristotle's Metaphysics, in which Aristotle argues that the divine
intellect is identical with its own object, interpreting that chapter in
light of the theory of intellect from de Anima. Robert Roreiter,
Professor at the Charles University and leading expert on these texts
and issues, will also take a leading role in the class.
Language
of instruction: English. Knowledge of Greek desirable but not necessary.
Some knowledge of Aristotle's philosophy highly desirable.
- Kursverantwortliche/r: Jonathan Beere
- Kursverantwortliche/r: Christiane Margot Neubauer