THEMISTIUS AGAINST PORPHYRY (?) ON 'WHY WE DO NOT REMEMBER'
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11210%2F21%3A10435820" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11210/21:10435820 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=NU5sYqUYY_" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=NU5sYqUYY_</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0009838821000446" target="_blank" >10.1017/S0009838821000446</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
THEMISTIUS AGAINST PORPHYRY (?) ON 'WHY WE DO NOT REMEMBER'
Original language description
This article sheds new light on Themistius' argument in what is philosophically the most original (and historically the most influential) section of his extant work, namely On Aristotle's On the Soul 100.16-109.3: here, Themistius offers a systematic interpretation of Aristotle's 'agent' intellect and its 'potential' and 'passive' counterparts. A solution to two textual difficulties at 101.36-102.2 is proposed, supported by the Arabic translation. This allows us to see that Themistius engages at length with a Platonizing reading of the enigmatic final lines of De anima III.5, where Aristotle explains 'why we do not remember' (without specifying when and what). This Platonizing reading (probably inspired by Aristotle's early dialogue Eudemus) can be safely identified with the one developed in a fragmentary text extant only in Arabic under the title Porphyry's treatise On the soul. While Themistius rejects this reading, he turns out to be heavily influenced by the author's interpretation of the 'agent', 'potential' and 'passive' intellect. These findings offer us a new glimpse into Themistius' philosophical programme: he is searching for an alternative to both the austere (and, by Themistius' lights, distorted) Aristotelianism of Alexander of Aphrodisias and the all too Platonizing reading of Aristotle adopted by thinkers such as Porphyry.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
60301 - Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2021
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Classical Quarterly
ISSN
0009-8388
e-ISSN
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Volume of the periodical
71
Issue of the periodical within the volume
1
Country of publishing house
GB - UNITED KINGDOM
Number of pages
7
Pages from-to
379-385
UT code for WoS article
000670283800029
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85104302956