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Chapter 4 - Aristotle’s Refinement of Theoria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 December 2021

Julie K. Ward
Affiliation:
Loyola University, Chicago
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Summary

The fourth chapter examines Aristotle's distinctive contribution to the history of theoria, one which develops Plato's idea of an intellectual activity aimed at the apprehension of form, concluding it counts among the highest human activities. In many ways, Aristotle would concur with Plato's rejection of traditional theoria as a pursuit practiced by unphilosophical, doxastic believers. Leaving aside a negative critique of the practice, his own treatment emphasizes the great intellectual potential afforded by philosophical theoria. For Aristotle, this activity consists in a specific kind of thinking he connects to scientific understanding; in other aspects, he compares the activity to seeing, describing the performance as divine, or god-like, in its nature.

Type
Chapter
Information
Searching for the Divine in Plato and Aristotle
Philosophical Theoria and Traditional Practice
, pp. 86 - 117
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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