[ExI] Is anyone an expert on Aristotle and Life?

[BillK]

2011/12/29  natasha wrote:
> I'm a bit confused.  Aristotle's views on life in _De Anima_ are clear
> enough ("the psyche (not soul) is the cause or the source of the living body
> ...it is (a) the movement, it is (b) the end, it is (c) the essence of the
> whoel living body".  And that that there are four causes (conditions): its
> matter is its mater in which it exists; its from is the arrangement of
> matter; it is moves/changes; and it has an aim/purpose (telos).
>
> Is the absolutely teleological in the sense that it is religous and
> determined by a God?  Why is not the telos of human consciousness or aim to
> evolve (self-directed evolution), as in transhumanism?
>
> If someone can help me with this, I'd appreciate it.
>
>


The basic problem is that the Greek word 'psyche' is commonly
translated as 'soul' in English writings. :)

But try this article for further explanation:
<http://www.socinian.org/aristotles_de_anima2.html>

THE PROBLEM OF THE SOUL IN ARISTOTLE’S De anima

Quote (from the end of the article)

Summary

1. The Aristotelian concept of the soul does not correspond to any
religious tradition, perhaps with the exception of the Hebrew
tradition. The religious concept is fundamentally dualistic, though it
may be camouflaged by the assumption of temporary psychosomatic unity
with the body in the living organism.

2. Aristotle's concept of the soul fits into his larger onto logical
scheme of reality as composed of matter and form, potentiality and
actuality.

3. The soul is described as the actuality or form of a living organism
(living body) with all its faculties corresponding to the
characteristics of life. As there is a gradualness in the degree of
complexity of life, so there is a corresponding gradualness in the
complexity of the soul. Man is at the top of the scale with the
intellectual faculty of syllogism. However, we know today that the
difference between the chimpanzee and man is of degree only.

4. The soul, being a form of the living body, perishes with the
organism at death.
etc.....
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BillK