Source edition
Aristotle. Aristoteles De anima. Ross, W.D., editor. Oxford: E Typographeo Clarendoniano, 1956.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
Aristotle's "On the Soul" is a systematic philosophical and scientific treatise that investigates the nature, essence, and attributes of the "soul" (psyche) as the primary principle of life. Spanning three books, the work begins in Book 1 with a critical examination of predecessor theories that defined the soul through motion, sensation, or incorporeal elements, thereby clearing the path for Aristotle's own methodology. In Book 2, he defines the soul as the "first actuality (entelecheia) of a natural body having life potentially" and outlines a hierarchy of vital capacities: nutrition, sensation, and thought. Here, he meticulously analyzes the five senses, explaining how they receive sensible forms without their matter through various media. Book 3 shifts focus to the intellect (nous), distinguishing between the active and passive intellect, and investigates the mechanism of animal locomotion driven by desire and practical reason. Ultimately, the work concludes by distinguishing between touch, which is indispensable for basic survival, and the other senses that exist for the sake of well-being, presenting a unified view of organic life.