Platonic Summer Seminar 2022:
Οὐσία in Platonic-Aristotelian Psychology
In 2018 we dealt with the Republic, in 2019 with the modern reception of Plato, in 2020 with the idea of the Good, in 2021 with the Phaedrus. In 2022 we would like to discuss the concept of οὐσία and its crucial position in Platonic-Aristotelian psychology. What does Plato mean when he says in Resp. 509b that ἀγαθόν is ἐπέκεινα τῆς οὐσίας? Why does Heidegger stress in his 1921 De Anima seminar that “οὐσία is not substance” and that “one must especially guard oneself against translating οὐσία as substance”? If οὐσία is not substance, then what is it? The γιγαντομαχία περὶ τῆς οὐσίας continues...
The basis of the seminar is a reading Plato's and Aristotle's psychological writings (Phaedo, Timaeus, De Anima II-III, Metaphysics VII), in conjunction with Alexander of Aphrodisias De Anima commentary as well as Ps.-Hippolytus' Refutation I 20 and VII 15-19. We will also discuss Thomas Szlezák’s interpretation of Platonic psychology, Martin Heidegger’s 1921 reading of De Anima published in Kronos Vol. X (2021), and  the pneumatic interpretation of De Anima II.2 414a advocated by Abraham Bos.
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