Science of the Soul

Sander de Boer is Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Groningen (Faculty of Philosophy). He works mainly on the history of philosophical psychology.

• AcknowledgementsAbbreviationsChapter 1: Introduction1.1 Subject matter1.2 Status quaestionis1.3 Periodisation and sources1.3.1 A chronological list of consulted commentaries1.4 Orthography, punctuation and translationsChapter 2: Overview2.1 The introduction of the De anima into the Latin West2.2 The soul as perfectio2.2.1 Avicenna's influence2.3 The soul as forma2.3.1 Immortal but not personal: radical Aristotelianism2.3.2 Formality and subsistence combined: Thomas Aquinas2.3.3 A substance, but also a form2.4 Unicity versus plurality of substantial formChapter 3: Methodologic al discussions3.1 The scientific status of the scientia de anima3.1.1 Imperceptibility3.1.2 Simplicity3.1.3 Potentiality3.1.4 The study of the soul within natural philosophy3.1.5 Radulphus Brito against John of Jandun3.1.6 An increasing focus on the intellect3.2 The subject matter of the scientia de anima3.2.1 The soul as subject matter3.2.2 The ensouled body sub ratione animae as subject matter3.2.3 Leaving the subject matter undecided3.2.4 Summary3.3 The epistemic status of the scientia de anima3.3.1 Unproblematic beginnings: Thomas Aquinas3.3.2 Certitude and nobility combined: Anonymus Van Steenberghen and Walter Burley3.3.3 Increasing difficulties: Anonymus Bazan, Radulphus Brito and John of Jandun3.3.4 The final stages: John Buridan and Nicole Oresme3.4 ConclusionsChapter 4: The Aristotelian definition of the soul4.1 Aristotle's definition of the soul4.1.1 Thomas Aquinas's views on the matter of the soul4.1.2 The Anonymi4.2 Fourteenth-century interpretations4.2.1 The substantiality of the soul4.2.2 The actuality of the body4.3 Can we perceive the identity of accidents?4.3.1 Thomas Aquinas4.3.2 Radulphus Brito4.3.3 John of Jandun4.3.4 John Buridan4.4 Excursus: condemnations and polemics4.5 ConclusionsChapter 5: Substance, powers and acts5.1 A curious fourteenth-century thought experiment5.2 One soul or multiple souls?5.2.1 John Buridan's arguments against a plurality of souls5.2.2 Nicole Oresme's hesitation5.2.3 Summary5.3 The relation between the soul and its powers5.3.1 Arguments against a real distinction5.3.2 Arguments in favor of a real distinction5.3.3 Some preliminary conclusions5.3.4 The identification of the soul with its powers5.4 The soul's presence in the body5.4.1 From annulose to perfect animals5.4.2 Is the soul extended or not?5.4.3 The discussion of the soul's presence after Ockham5.4.4 Is the power of sight really present in the foot?5.4.5 From annulose animals to perfect animals5.5 From animal soul to human soul5.5.1 The intellective soul: material or immaterial?5.6 Epilogue and conclusions5.6.1 The fragile unity of the science of the soulChapter 6: Final conclusionsBibliographyManuscriptsPublished sourcesSecondary literatureIndex Codicum ManuscriptorumIndex Nominum

Malgrado questi limiti, il libro di de Boer rappresenta un contributo importante alla storia della dottrina dell’anima, e più in generale alla storia della tradizione aristotelica. Scritto in modo chiaro, ben documentato, capace di analizzare gli sviluppi interni alla tradizione aristotelica ma anche di valutare l’impatto che su di essa ebbero esigenze teologiche e interventi delle autorità ecclesiastiche (cfr. in particolare le pp. 197-206), questo libro mostra come la scientia de anima sia nel medioevo «as much about animals and even plants as it is about human beings» (p. 4); ma al tempo stesso chiarisce come, fra XIII e XIV secolo, si sia creata una sempre più ampia divaricazione fra l’analisi delle anime non umane e quella dell’anima umana, quindi sia emersa una crescente sfiducia nella possibilità di comprendere appieno la natura di quest’ultima tramite strumenti esclusivamente razionali. Luca Bianchi, Rivista di storia della filosofia, n. 1, 2017