The Science of the Soul

The transformation of the science of the soul between 1260 and 1360.

Aristotle's highly influential work on the soul, entitled De anima, formed part of the core curriculum of medieval universities and was discussed intensively. It covers a range of topics in philosophical psychology, such as the relationship between mind and body and the nature of abstract thought. However, there is a key difference in scope between the socalled ‘science of the soul', based on Aristotle, and modern philosophical psychology. This book starts from a basic premise accepted by all medieval commentators, namely that the science of the soul studies not just human beings but all living beings. As such, its methodology and approach must also apply to plants and animals. The Science of the Soul discusses how philosophers, from Thomas Aquinas to Pierre d'Ailly, dealt with the difficult task of giving a unified account of life and traces the various stages in the transformation of the science of the soul between 1260 and 1360. The emerging picture is that of a gradual disruption of the unified approach to the soul, which will ultimately lead to the emergence of psychology as a separate discipline.

This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

"The Science of the Soul" was written by Sander De Boer.

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

Yes, "The Science of the Soul" is part of the "Ancient and Medieval Philosophy - Series 1" series. It's book 46 in the series.

In association with The De Wulf-Mansion Centre.

About the Series

The series' focus lies primarily on the continuity and thematic transitions between ancient, medieval and renaissance thought, but also includes volumes on specific topics related to any of those periods. ‘Philosophy' is understood broadly to include metaphysics, ethics, natural philosophy, epistemology and philosophy of mind, and philosophical theology. Since the series is particularly devoted to making available Latin and Greek source texts, we welcome critical text editions as well as contributions that are based on philological scrutiny of those texts, without losing sight of their philosophical importance.

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy - Series 1 aims to publish at least two volumes a year and accepts monographs as well as thematically coherent edited volumes in English (without excluding the possibility of French, German, or Italian contributions to edited volumes). Manuscripts should be 80.000 to 120.000 words in length.

Readership

Researchers and graduate students in ancient, medieval and renaissance philosophy, in classics and in history.

Editorial Coordinator

Russell Friedman, KU Leuven, Belgium

Editorial Board

Pieter Beullens, KU Leuven, Belgium
Lisa Devriese, KU Leuven, Belgium
Pieter d'Hoine, KU Leuven, Belgium
Jan Opsomer, KU Leuven, Belgium
Jenny Pelletier, KU Leuven, Belgium
Andrea Robiglio, KU Leuven, Belgium
Carlos Steel, KU Leuven, Belgium
Gerd Van Riel, KU Leuven, Belgium

Advisory Board

Brad Inwood, Yale Universityo, USA
Jill Kraye, The Warburg Institute, London, United Kingdom
John Marenbon, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Lodi Nauta, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Timothy Noone (†) , The Catholic University of America, USA
Robert Pasnau, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA
Martin Pickavé, University of Toronto, Canada,
Pasquale Porro, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Geert Roskam, KU Leuven, Belgium

Proposals

Proposals and enquiries can be sent to  editorial coordinator Russell L. Friedman. Please send a preliminary abstract (3-4 pp.) and a short bio. Upon approval of this abstract, the full manuscript will be submitted to international peer review.

Please make use of the submission form to present the full manuscript to our board.
Authors interested in Open Access can consult the available funding options.

Links & Resources

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Subject matter
1.2 Status quaestionis
1.3 Periodisation and sources
1.3.1 A chronological list of consulted commentaries
1.4 Orthography, punctuation and translations

Chapter 2: Overview
2.1 The introduction of the De anima into the Latin West
2.2 The soul as perfectio
2.2.1 Avicenna's influence
2.3 The soul as forma
2.3.1 Immortal but not personal: radical Aristotelianism
2.3.2 Formality and subsistence combined: Thomas Aquinas
2.3.3 A substance, but also a form
2.4 Unicity versus plurality of substantial form

Chapter 3: Methodologic al discussions
3.1 The scientific status of the scientia de anima
3.1.1 Imperceptibility
3.1.2 Simplicity
3.1.3 Potentiality
3.1.4 The study of the soul within natural philosophy
3.1.5 Radulphus Brito against John of Jandun
3.1.6 An increasing focus on the intellect
3.2 The subject matter of the scientia de anima
3.2.1 The soul as subject matter
3.2.2 The ensouled body sub ratione animae as subject matter
3.2.3 Leaving the subject matter undecided
3.2.4 Summary
3.3 The epistemic status of the scientia de anima
3.3.1 Unproblematic beginnings: Thomas Aquinas
3.3.2 Certitude and nobility combined: Anonymus Van Steenberghen and Walter Burley
3.3.3 Increasing difficulties: Anonymus Bazan, Radulphus Brito and John of Jandun
3.3.4 The final stages: John Buridan and Nicole Oresme
3.4 Conclusions

Chapter 4: The Aristotelian definition of the soul
4.1 Aristotle's definition of the soul
4.1.1 Thomas Aquinas's views on the matter of the soul
4.1.2 The Anonymi
4.2 Fourteenth-century interpretations
4.2.1 The substantiality of the soul
4.2.2 The actuality of the body
4.3 Can we perceive the identity of accidents?
4.3.1 Thomas Aquinas
4.3.2 Radulphus Brito
4.3.3 John of Jandun
4.3.4 John Buridan
4.4 Excursus: condemnations and polemics
4.5 Conclusions

Chapter 5: Substance, powers and acts
5.1 A curious fourteenth-century thought experiment
5.2 One soul or multiple souls?
5.2.1 John Buridan's arguments against a plurality of souls
5.2.2 Nicole Oresme's hesitation
5.2.3 Summary
5.3 The relation between the soul and its powers
5.3.1 Arguments against a real distinction
5.3.2 Arguments in favor of a real distinction
5.3.3 Some preliminary conclusions
5.3.4 The identification of the soul with its powers
5.4 The soul's presence in the body
5.4.1 From annulose to perfect animals
5.4.2 Is the soul extended or not?
5.4.3 The discussion of the soul's presence after Ockham
5.4.4 Is the power of sight really present in the foot?
5.4.5 From annulose animals to perfect animals
5.5 From animal soul to human soul
5.5.1 The intellective soul: material or immaterial?
5.6 Epilogue and conclusions
5.6.1 The fragile unity of the science of the soul

Chapter 6: Final conclusions

Bibliography
Manuscripts
Published sources
Secondary literature

Index Codicum Manuscriptorum

Index Nominum