Reference Information
The Complete Works of Aristotle – On Plants
- Aristotle
- Edited by Jonathan Barnes, Princeton University Press
The Complete Works of Aristotle – On Plants
- Aristotle
- Edited by Jonathan Barnes, Princeton University Press
Summary
Aristotle begins by posing the question of whether or not plants have a soul. Instead of comparing plants to humans, he compares them to other animals. He points out many similarities between animals and plants, such as the need for food and nourishment. A key factor that is missing in plants is the motivation of desire for things. He states “that plants have neither sensation nor desire.” His conclusion then becomes that plants only possess a partial soul, and not a soul like animals. The bulk of the rest of his writing delves into plants themselves and all of the immense variety of plants. He goes into a thorough discussion of the different climates plants live in, types of plants, manners in bearing fruit, the nature of the fruit, and so on. And from time to time, he relates plant characteristics back to similar ones in animals.
Aristotle begins by posing the question of whether or not plants have a soul. Instead of comparing plants to humans, he compares them to other animals. He points out many similarities between animals and plants, such as the need for food and nourishment. A key factor that is missing in plants is the motivation of desire for things. He states “that plants have neither sensation nor desire.” His conclusion then becomes that plants only possess a partial soul, and not a soul like animals. The bulk of the rest of his writing delves into plants themselves and all of the immense variety of plants. He goes into a thorough discussion of the different climates plants live in, types of plants, manners in bearing fruit, the nature of the fruit, and so on. And from time to time, he relates plant characteristics back to similar ones in animals.
Discussion
The amount of research or observations Aristotle did to write the bulk of his writing is really impressive. I certainly did not expect a philosophy selection to have so many diverse details about plant life like this. But anyway, plants having souls is definitely a different way of looking at them. While they don’t have the mobility or personalities of animals, which we can agree do have souls, they might have somewhat of a soul depending on how you view what a soul is.
The amount of research or observations Aristotle did to write the bulk of his writing is really impressive. I certainly did not expect a philosophy selection to have so many diverse details about plant life like this. But anyway, plants having souls is definitely a different way of looking at them. While they don’t have the mobility or personalities of animals, which we can agree do have souls, they might have somewhat of a soul depending on how you view what a soul is.
A person’s personality to me is the visual depiction of a person’s soul. The soul contains the person’s views, motivations, and attitudes, as well as everything else that makes them up as a person. Each person has a certain distinctiveness to his/her actions, which is why you can agree or disagree with a rumor involving this person. Based on how this person has behaved, you can roughly judge how this hypothetical situation would pan out. In the same way a person’s behavior makes impressions of his/her soul on others, this can also be true of the person’s computer.
 |
| Some semblance of order does exist. I assure you. |
Your computer is your own, and you have icons, programs, and settings configured just the way you like them. Everything is arranged in a specific way to tailor to how your mind works and organizes things. Some prefer to have little to no icons cluttering the desktop, while others make it look like the internet vomited all over it. Neither is better than the other, because what one person views as madness can be completely sensible to another mind. But either way, it is organized to reflect you, and therefore your personality and soul I feel. I don’t feel an inanimate computer has a soul, but such a personable device could be an extension or even reflection of your soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment