Articles with keyword: De anima

About the truth: Aristotle and john philoponus
Alexantra Ntotsika Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

ELECTRYONE 

2017
Volume 5, Issue 2

 | pp.

71-79

Abstract:

The paper is about the philosophical inquiry of truth and falsehood on the Aristotle’s treatise ‘‘De anima’’ and the Philoponus’ commentary on the Aristotelian work (Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca). Since, the philosophical game of truth and falsehood is directly related with the cognitive process the current study mainly focuses on the definition and the analysis of the intellect, which retrieves stimuli from the senses and imagination in order to operate effectively. For that reason, there is an explanation in the two distinct chapters that are concerned with the concept of the Aristotelian intellect and its interpretation from John Philoponus, in order to extract potential philosophical differentiations or similarities. The Aristotelian intellect (nous) anchors the initial data through a logical judgement and follows the diversity of the combinations of reality. During that combinatorial operation of logic that derives from the senses and imagination (phantasia), it is possible for falsehood to be inducted, in such way that the combinations will no longer meet the existing combinations of reality. The most essential element of Philoponu’ s philosophy on truth and falsehood is intertwined with the composition of a theory regarding the distinction of nous-dianoia-doxa and the distinction of simple/impartitionable (amerista) or divisible (merista) things and not of meanings. Among those, the distinction between human- divine intellect (which is identical to the truth) is preceding and that may put at risk the aristotelian work, as it could connect it with the neo-platonian theory.
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