‘Psyche’ is the Greek word for ‘soul’ meaning that psychology is the theory of souls. There are many different theories of the soul. Aristotle’s theory is principally presented in his publication, ‘De Anima’ simply translating as ‘On the Soul’. Aristotle defines the soul as an individual kind of nature, a principle that is responsible for change and which rests in a specific case of living beings including human beings, animals and even plants. By Aristotle’s first perception, the soul is the principle of all animal life, the first reality of the natural body possessing the capacity of life- the form of the body and a total of all human being operations. The soul is what makes a body function as expected.
Aristotle’s theory talks about different types of souls, that is to say, various capacity types which are discovered through the observation of the distinct behaviors living creatures engage in (Johansen " Thomas, 2015). There are three types of souls according to Aristotle including the vegetative, sensitive and rational soul.
Firstly, there is the ‘nutritive soul’, also referred to as ‘vegetative soul’ and is the most primitive of all three entities, it simply feeds, grows and reproduces. Technically, all living things possess this type of soul. Nonetheless, plants are the only living things that have only this soul. Secondly, there are the animate beings which not only have the vegetative powers but also a sense of perception, in other words, a simple form of consciousness. As a result, animate beings are capable of feeling pleasure and pain when the apt stimuli reach its consciousness, consequently, ability to feel distaste or desire, in some cases, even movement from or towards the object in question. These beings are animals, and theirs is a ‘sensitive soul’ meaning a living being with the ability of sense perception. The animal soul is, therefore, the actualization of the potentialities established by a vegetative soul hence on a higher level or higher degree of actualization compared to a nutritive soul (Lewis " Frank, 2013).
Lastly, there is the man who has the above capacities and the capacity to reason to grasp abstract forms or universals and think; he is said to be a ‘rational soul’. The rational soul needs the sensitive soul- it is made possible by the vegetative, the actualization of its potentialities and thus is on a higher level in comparison to the animal soul.
In the theory of the four causes (material, formal, efficient and final cause) Aristotle explains the changes in the world (Lewis " Frank, 2013). Material cause simply explained is the trait of change determined by the material it comprises, formal cause is the change caused by shape, appearance, or arrangement of the matter. Efficient cause refers to the main source of change and lastly, the final cause, which refers to the end product change, is done for this sake. In this case, the soul is the final cause because as the soul makes the body function, every change we make is to the satisfaction of the soul. Aristotle also refers to the soul as a form of the body in the causal theory simply implicating that the soul is what makes a person a person rather than just a piece of meat- a system of abilities exhibited and possessed by animate bodies.
Aristotle’s theory says that the soul is incapable of existing on its own but with a body since it needs bodily parts and structures to manifest. Further, Aristotle says that not all matter has a soul (Todd "Robert, 2013). To have a soul, the being has to have three main components, nutrition, growth and reproduction. If a matter has a body and soul, it should be capable of all three if not, it cannot possibly have a soul. Take, for example, a knife which is made of steel and wood for the handle; its soul is what would make it a knife and the ability to cut, one it loses its ability to cut; it ceases to be a knife- just steel and wood.
In respect of Aristotle’s theory of the soul, it is incomprehensible that the soul exists once the body is dead. The body and soul co-exist and are interdependent meaning one cannot function without the other, the soul needs a body to have to mean, and the body needs the soul for the same. Therefore, the soul dies along with the body.
Conclusion
Aristotle makes one exception for a reason which he defines as the basis of the first principles of understanding, arguing that survives death- there is no clear explanation as to how or why this is so. Aristotle pleas to humanity with claims that people experience reality through senses, however, there is no clear evidence of the reliability of our senses or that everything has a final cause. Nonetheless, Aristotle is a prominent figure in primordial Greek philosophy and his stress on good reasoning together with belief in scientific technique forms background for his greatest work.
References
Lewis, Frank A. How Aristotle Gets by in Metaphysics Zeta. , 2013. Print Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013
Todd, Robert B. Themistius: On Aristotle on the Soul. , 2013. Internet resource. London; New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013.
Johansen, Thomas K. The Powers of Aristotle's Soul. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. Print. Thomas Kjeller Johansen; Oxford University Press.
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