Aristotle and Descartes: Contrasting Views on the Human Soul

Anthropology

Aristotle

Aristotle views man as a being of the physical world. This differs from Plato, for whom there is a large separation between soul and body. When a person dies, he disappears, but the species remains. Aristotle considers the soul in accordance with the species. Each species has a kind of soul that enables a series of functions, which are hierarchical and differentiate us from other species. These functions are three:

• The vegetative function, which is to nurture and reproduce, and is intended for plants.
• The sensory function, which involves movement and feeling and is developed primarily by animals.
• The rational function, which is the search for truth through reason. It is what gives happiness to men.

These functions are in order because each is more complex than the last and contains the previous ones. Man is composed of primary substance (individual) and secondary substance (species). What exists is embodied in an individual species; the species does not exist by itself. Finally, we know the individual disappears with his death. Still, there is a possible interpretation of the immortality of man. The soul is the body's shape. Soul and body are principles that need to come together to form a substance called "man".

According to hylomorphic theory, Aristotle interprets man as composed of matter and form: if the body dies, the soul departs from it. We can consider three stages in Aristotelian anthropology:

1. The first is of Platonic interpretation; he says that soul and body are distinct substances. At this stage, Aristotle defends the pre-existence and transmigration of the soul when the body dies.
2. The second stage, the soul, though distinct from the body, is attached to the body by accident.
3. The third stage, the soul ceases to be understood as an independent substance and becomes a structure attached to the body.

Thus, we can say that the body is able to receive the element of shape and the soul is the form of a body. In his final writings, Aristotle does not support the pre-existence of the soul or the transmigration of it. It is not clear whether the soul is mortal or not.

Descartes

Descartes realizes that there is no doubt that he is doubting everything. If you think, you exist. For Descartes, man is the only being that has a soul. Descartes identified thought with the soul. For him, man is also dual: body and immortal spiritual soul. The feelings and passions that are not rational and which affect the soul must be removed. A common problem at this time is, if the soul and body are so different, how do they communicate? Descartes mistakenly said that it was through the pineal gland.

According to Descartes, the world works using mathematical formulas and animals have no soul. Descartes has no evidence of ethics; he waives a full ethics by making a provisional code with three rules:

1. Obey the laws, traditions, and religion of the country.
2. Persevere in the agreement once established, even in doubt.
3. One must try to overcome oneself, changing one's own thoughts instead of believing one can change the world order.

Descartes influenced Spinoza, Hobbes, Kant, and later rationalists. His ideas are somewhat reminiscent of Stoicism.