Thinking as a Certain Movement in Aristotle: Observations Upon the Meaning of a Terminological Shift in Phys. IV 11 in Light of an Old Debate
Authors
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Claudio Vera
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2126-0039
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Abstract
Despite of treating thought (διάνοια), as Aristotle generally treats intellectual activities, as a complete activity (ἐνέργεια τελεία), in Phys. IV 11 he seems to refer to thought as a certain type of movement (κίνησις τις). The sense of that shift in terminology is overlooked by most of commentators, and in fact since antiquity both Simplicius and Alexander of Aphrodisias consider it to be irrelevant. In this work I maintain that the shift has a non-trivial sense, according to which thinking itself can be conceived of as movement, for it shares with it certain attributes: spatial lack of extension; continuity; and succession. Said structural resemblance allows thinking to play the role that is usually fulfilled by natural movements i.e. presenting a change that allows the instantiation of time experience.
Keywords:
time , thinking , change , Aristotle , Galen , SimpliciusReferences
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