Author Description

Aristotle does not regard the philosophy of mind as a separate subject, but approaches it sometimes as a biologist, sometimes as a metaphysician, sometimes from his study of man. This variety of approach enables him to produce many new insights, as in his treatment of the relation between body and soul, the distinction between the five senses, and the nature and role of the emotions. Harder to understand - but comprehensibly explained in this book - is his treatment of the imagination, and one aspect of his treatment of thinking. The book concludes with an examination of one of the most famous of Aristotle's works, the Poetics. Bernays' classic article on the role of the emotions in tragedy and the nature of catharsis is translated from the German for the first time. The discussion is completed by an illuminating treatment of Aristotle's conception of poetry, and its role in educating the whole man.