Platon und die Seele / Plato and the Soul, Gebunden

Blurb

Although Plato is considered by many to be the "founder" of psychology, it is controversial to what extent Plato's various statements on the soul can be combined to form an actual psychological theory. In this volume, which stems from the 2024 Tübingen Platon-Tage, thirteen international researchers examine various aspects of Plato's treatment of the soul that can be called "psychological" in a narrower sense, such as his theory of perception, desire, pleasure, or imagination ( phantasia ). Particular attention is paid to the question of the extent to which such phenomena are psychophysical, i. e., they concern not only the soul but also the body. In addition, there are contributions that seek to clarify what it means for Plato that the soul is a principle of life and also the ruler of the body and its dispositions and processes. Finally, several contributors address the question of the mathematical constitution of the soul in Plato and in the Ancient Academy. In doing so, the volume takes a fresh look at key Platonic texts that discuss phenomena of the soul, such as the Phaedo , the Theaetetus , the Timaeus and the Philebus , but also, for example, the Sophist . As a result, several main trends emerge: for example, that for Plato the question of the role of the soul is closely linked to the question of the role of the body, and that the problem later addressed by Aristotle is strongly influenced by Plato, not only with regard to the status of the soul, but also with regard to the contribution of the body to the explanation of mental phenomena. Together, these findings provide a basis both for pursuing larger questions about Plato's psychology as a unified theory and for exploring his influence on later traditions, from Aristotelianism to the modern era.