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Headword: *nou=s
Adler number: nu,524
Translated headword: intellect, mind, reason
Vetting Status: high
Translation:
[Note] that the intellect contains within itself the rationales of all things, but with some of them [appearing] prior to it as representations, and others of them [appearing] after it as exemplars.[1]
Interpretation of a dream: when elevated in the mind, know that [you] dwell in a foreign land.[2]
[Note] that Pythagoras used to say that the human soul is divided into 3 [parts]: intellect, wits and passion. Intellect and passion also exist in the other living beings, but wits just in the human being. And [he said] that the principle of the soul [comes] from the heart and [goes] up to the head, and that the part of the soul that is in the heart is passion, while the [parts that] are in the head are wits and intellect.[3]
[Note] that of the things that are thought, some were conceived of by experience, others by similarity, others by analogy, others by transposition, others by composition, others by opposition. And sensible things [are conceived of] by experience, but by similarity the things deriving from something set before [us are conceived of], such as Socrates[4] from his picture. By analogy [come those conceived of] by enlargement, [such as] Tityos[5] and the Cyclops,[6] and by shrinking, such as the pygmy. Even the center of the earth was conceived of by analogy from smaller spheres. By transposition [something is conceived of] like eyes in the chest; by composition, the hippocentaur; and death [is conceived of] by opposition [sc. to life]. Some things, such as the sayables and place, are also conceived of by transference. And something existent which is also good is conceived of naturally, and by privation, a handless man [is conceived of].[7]
The function of the intellect[8] is to apprehend things by simple direct acts of intuition and [thus] more powerfully than by demonstration. For as well, sense-perception--perhaps having encountered something white or this [particular] shape--has acquired knowledge more strongly than through demonstration: for this [knowledge] does not require a deductive argument. And indeed this activity of the intellect[9] accrues to those who have arrived at the apex of purification and understanding and who, through the purificatory virtues have become accustomed to activating [their intellect] without the use of imagination and apart from sense-perception. For the intellect is, as it were, the most perfect state of the soul. And thus, the intellect is concerned with mental objects, [...] but discursive thought with things that can be thought about, and opinion with conjectures. Of these faculties, the intellect holds the first rank, but discursive thought the middle [rank], and opinion the lowest [rank]. And discursive thought dwells near our soul, since it holds the middle rank in everything, and through discursive thought our soul is led to the contemplation of mental objects, which [contemplation] is the perfection of the soul. For since our soul is of the same origin and of the same kind as the perceptible objects, because of its association with the senses, it is unable to guide itself to the contemplation of immaterial mental objects, but it considers these also to be bodies and to have magnitude, and whatever applies to the perceptible objects, it imagines [to be the case] there [sc. for the mental objects] as well. And Plato [says] in the Phaedo:[10] "This is the most difficult aspect of our interior life, that whenever we draw ourselves a little toward freedom from the distractions of the body, and want to be free for the contemplation of divine matters, imagination intervenes and stirs up confusion in us. It makes us suppose that the divine is a body and has magnitude and shape, and does not permit us to conceive of god as without body and without shape.” Therefore it is necessary for the soul, as it journeys toward its own perfection, to act first in accordance with discursive thought, which concerns the intermediate things: such are the objects of reasoning, like our soul and the contemplation of it, and also mathematical objects.
Greek Original:
*nou=s: o(/ti o( nou=s pa/ntwn e)/xei tou\s lo/gous e)n e(autw=|, a)lla\ tw=n me\n pro\ au)tou= ei)konikw=s, tw=n de\ met' au)to\n paradeigmatikw=s. lu/sis o)nei/rou: a)rqei\s no/on gi/nwske gh=n nai/ein ce/nhn. o(/ti *puqago/ras th\n tou= a)nqrw/pou yuxh\n dih|rh=sqai e)/fh ei)s g#: nou=n, fre/nas kai\ qumo/n. nou=n me\n kai\ qumo\n ei)=nai kai\ e)n toi=s a)/llois zw/|ois, fre/nas de\ mo/non e)n a)nqrw/pw|. ei)=nai de\ th\n a)rxh\n th=s yuxh=s a)po\ kardi/as me/xri e)gkefa/lou. kai\ to\ me\n e)n kardi/a| me/ros au)th=s u(pa/rxein qumo/n, fre/nas de\ kai\ nou=n ta\ e)n tw=| e)gkefa/lw|. o(/ti tw=n dianooume/nwn ta\ me\n kata\ peri/ptwsin e)noh/qh, ta\ de\ kaq' o(moio/thta, ta\ de\ kata\ a)nalogi/an, ta\ de\ kata\ meta/qesin, ta\ de\ kata\ su/nqesin, ta\ de\ kat' e)nanti/wsin. kai\ kata\ peri/ptwsin me\n ta\ ai)sqhta/, kaq' o(moio/thta de\ ta\ a)po/ tinos parakeime/nou, w(s *swkra/ths a)po\ th=s ei)ko/nos: kat' a)nalogi/an de\ au)chtikw=s me\n o( *tituo\s kai\ o( *ku/klwy, meiwtikw=s de\ w(s o( pugmai=os: kai\ to\ ke/ntron de\ th=s gh=s kat' a)nalogi/an e)noh/qh a)po\ tw=n mikrote/rwn sfairw=n: kata\ meta/qesin de\ oi(=on oi( o)fqalmoi\ e)pi\ tou= sth/qous, kata\ su/nqesin de\ i(ppoke/ntauros, kai\ kat' e)nanti/wsin qa/natos. noei=tai de\ kai\ kata\ meta/basi/n tina, w(s ta\ lekta\ kai\ o( to/pos. fusikw=s de\ noei=tai kai\ o)/n ti kai\ a)gaqo/n, kai\ kata\ ste/rhsin, oi(=on a)/xeiros. o(/ti tou= nou= e)/rgon e)sti\n a(plai=s prosbolai=s kai\ krei=tton h)\ kata\ a)po/deicin e)piba/llein toi=s pra/gmasin. w(/sper h( ai)/sqhsis prosbalou=sa tuxo\n tw=| leukw=| h)\ tw=|de tw=| sxh/mati krei=tton h)\ kata\ a)po/deicin au)tou= th\n gnw=sin e)/sxen: ou) ga\r dei=tai pro\s tau/thn sullogismou=. h( de/ ge tou= nou= e)ne/rgeia e)kei/nois paragi/netai, oi(=s ei)s a)/kron kaqa/rsews kai\ e)pisth/mhs ge/gonen a)fike/sqai kai\ dia\ tw=n kaqartikw=n a)retw=n a)fanta/stws kai\ di/xa ai)sqh/sews e)nergei=n suneiqisme/nois. e)/sti ga\r o( nou=s oi(=on e(/cis th=s yuxh=s teleiota/th. kai\ gi/netai toi/nun o( me\n nou=s peri\ ta\ nohta/, h( de\ dia/noia peri\ ta\ dianohta/, h( de\ do/ca peri\ ta\ docasta/. tou/twn de\ tw=n duna/mewn prw/thn me\n e)/xei ta/cin o( nou=s, me/shn de\ h( dia/noia, e)sxa/thn de\ h( do/ca. h( de\ dia/noia prosw|kei/wtai th=| h(mete/ra| yuxh=|, e)peidh\ kai\ au)th\ th\n me/shn e)n tw=| panti\ ta/cin e)/xei, kai\ dia\ th=s dianoi/as a)na/getai h( h(mete/ra yuxh\ e)pi\ th\n tw=n nohtw=n qewri/an, h(/tis e)sti\ teleio/ths th=s yuxh=s. e)peidh\ ga\r su/ntrofos kai\ su/mfulo/s e)sti toi=s ai)sqhtoi=s h( yuxh\ h( h(mete/ra, a)dunatei= dia\ to\n suneqismo\n tw=n ai)sqh/sewn e)pi\ th\n qewri/an tw=n nohtw=n kai\ a)u/+lwn a)/gein e(auth/n, a)lla\ nomi/zei ka)kei=na sw/mata ei)=nai kai\ mege/qh e)/xein: kai\ o(/sa e)pi\ tw=n ai)sqhtw=n, ka)kei/nwn fanta/zetai. kai\ *pla/twn e)n *fai/dwni: tou=to/ e)sti to\ xalepw/taton tw=n e)n h(mi=n, o(/ti o(/tan sxolh\n a)po\ tw=n periolkw=n tou= sw/matos mikro\n a)/gwmen kai\ qelh/swmen th=| qewri/a| tw=n qei/wn sxola/sai, parempi/ptousa h( fantasi/a qo/rubon h(mi=n kinei=, u(ponoei=n didou=sa, o(/ti sw=ma/ e)sti to\ qei=on kai\ me/geqos e)/xei kai\ sxh=ma, kai\ ou)k e)a=| h(ma=s a)swma/tws kai\ a)sxhmati/stws peri\ qeou= e)nnoei=n. dia\ tou=to dei= th\n yuxh\n o(deu/ousan e)pi\ th\n e(auth=s teleio/thta prw=ton e)nergh=sai kata\ dia/noian, h(/tis e)/xei peri\ ta\ me/sa tw=n pragma/twn: oi(=a/ e)sti ta\ dianohta\ h(/ te yuxh\ h( h(mete/ra kai\ h( peri\ au)th=s qewri/a: e)/ti de\ kai\ ta\ maqhmatika/.
Notes:
See also nu 523, nu 525.
[1] John Philoponus, Commentary on Aristotle's de anima 126.30-31 Hayduck; cf. van der Eijk (On the Soul 1.3-5, 47).
[2] From the dream-interpretations, in verse, attributed to Astrampsychus (see alpha 4251).
[3] Diogenes Laertius 8.30.
[4] sigma 829.
[5] tau 696.
[6] kappa 2652.
[7] This passage is largely taken from the Stoic doxography contained in Diogenes Laertius 7.52-53. On the Stoic 'sayables' see kappa 1039, lambda 658.
[8] For this long section, which continues to the end of entry, cf. John Philoponus, Commentary on Aristotle's de anima 2.7-3.9 Hayduck. Also, cf. van der Eijk (On the Soul 1.1-2, 16-17).
[9] This expression is Aristotle’s (see Metaphysics 1072b26-27); it is said of the prime mover or god, which is described as 'the activity (or 'actuality') of intellect' and as the life most good and eternal.
[10] Not an exact quotation; but for the Platonic thesis that our body has a perturbing influence upon our soul see Phaedo 66D, 67E-68B, 80B-81E, 82E-83E.
References:
P. van der Eijk, trans., Philoponus: On Aristotle's On the Soul 1.3-5, (Ithaca, NY, 2006)
P. van der Eijk, trans., Philoponus: On Aristotle's On the Soul 1.1-2, (Ithaca, NY, 2005)
Keywords: biography; daily life; definition; dreams; mathematics; meter and music; mythology; philosophy; poetry; religion
Translated by: Marcelo Boeri on 20 September 2003@21:22:02.
Vetted by:
David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; cosmetics) on 21 September 2003@06:41:32.
David Whitehead (more keywords) on 30 September 2005@08:41:48.
David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics; raised status) on 11 June 2008@10:25:15.
David Whitehead on 17 June 2013@07:30:52.
Catharine Roth (coding) on 14 December 2014@23:59:59.
Catharine Roth (tweaked translation) on 27 November 2020@00:18:24.
Ronald Allen (typo in translation) on 10 December 2020@13:41:24.
Catharine Roth (another typo) on 31 December 2020@00:58:51.
Ronald Allen (tweaked translation (in consultation with Managing Editor Catharine Roth), added bibliography, expanded n.1) on 4 January 2021@00:04:11.
Catharine Roth (modified translation collaboratively with Ron Allen) on 24 January 2021@00:03:00.
Ronald Allen (punctuation tweak in translation, augmented n.8) on 24 January 2021@19:19:49.
Ronald Allen (augmented n.1, expanded n.8, added to bibliography) on 25 January 2021@12:30:36.

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