On the Soul
by Aristotle · Περὶ ψυχῆς
Assigned by 4 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 350 BCE
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Short · 100 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Difficult4 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendAristotle's On the Soul and On Memory and Recollection, translated by Joe SachsGreen Lion Press, 2001Literal and carefully consistent, with an introduction that walks through the argument.
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Aristotle's treatise on what it is to be alive. After reviewing earlier theories, he defines the soul as the form or first actuality of a natural body that has life, then studies its powers in order: nutrition, perception through each of the senses, imagination, and thought. Book III contains the brief and much-disputed chapters on the active intellect that occupied medieval philosophy for centuries.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns On the Soul are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
