Galen on pneuma: between metaphysical speculation and anatomical theory
Singer, Peter N. (2020) Galen on pneuma: between metaphysical speculation and anatomical theory. The Concept of Pneuma After Aristotle 61 , ISSN 2366-665X.
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Abstract
The paper explores Galen's theory of pneuma, especially its function in relation to his views on the soul and physiology, on the basis of a detailed analysis of the most relevant texts in the Galenic corpus. It examines the nature and motivation of the theory, and the problematic status of pneuma as an explanans in the physical world. While there are many possibly relevant precursors in ancient medical and philosophical thought, it is argued that Galen's employment of pneuma in psychological and physiological explanations owes far more to Hellenistic anatomy and physiology than it does to the metaphysical status of pneuma in certain philosophical, especially Stoic, authors.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | Galen, pneuma, ancient medicine, history of psyche, Stoics, Herophilus, Erasistratus |
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Historical Studies |
| Depositing User: | Peter Singer |
| Date Deposited: | 03 Dec 2018 10:04 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2023 17:46 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/25295 |
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