Introduction
Man’s intellect and sensory capacities distinguish him in action from other animals. Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, described the intellect and body as separate entities, creating numerous disputes among subsequent theorists. He unequivocally insisted on the soul’s importance in providing meaning to that intellect. Moreover, the philosopher’s dialectical approach to understanding the soul advanced current theories on active and passive intellect. Aristotle’s distinction of the human intellect furthered the understanding of the soul by challenging contemporary psychological views.
Aristotle’s Views on Intellect and Soul
Aristotle introduced his views on the soul, intending to challenge previous philosophical views on active and passive intellect. The third book by Aristotle, De Anima III, supports hylomorphism, especially in the union between the soul and the body (King, 2020). The Greek philosopher insists that the body cannot exist without the soul, assigning particular importance to the latter’s influence on cognition. Additionally, previous theories on the soul’s nature failed to employ a heuristic method in identifying the soul’s importance on passive intellect. Religious philosophers have gradually associated active intellect, and Aristotle’s philosophy agrees with this sentiment, equating its effect to that of light in a room. The light makes unintelligible matter intelligible in much the same way, that active intellect converts potential knowledge provided by passive intellect into active knowledge (King, 2020). However, Aristotle insisted that parts of the intellect may operate independent of the soul, in opposition to theorists such as Xenocrates and Plato (King, 2020). Current suppositions on intellect and the soul delineate the evolution of philosophical views on the subject over time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, passive intellect is described by philosophers as unintelligible information. It is through the influence of active intelligence that data becomes comprehensible. Aristotle distinguished the intellect and human soul and attributed each to no specific body organ. Nonetheless, his sentiments have advanced the perception and definition of human intelligence by challenging the presuppositions of modern theorists and philosophers.
References
King, C. G. (2020). Aristotle on Earlier Greek Psychology: The Science of the Soul. Journal of the History of Philosophy, 58(2), 400–401.