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In the Aristotelian scheme, nous is the basic understanding or awareness that allows human beings to think rationally. For Aristotle, this was distinct from the processing of sensory perception, including the use of imagination and memory, which other animals can do.
While Plato emphasizes nous as an abstract realm of ideal forms, Aristotle grounds it in empirical reality through his notion of active intellect. This blending creates a richer view where nous becomes essential in linking abstract principles with concrete existence.
Nous, in philosophy, the faculty of intellectual apprehension and of intuitive thought. Used in a narrower sense, it is distinguished from discursive thought and applies to the apprehension of eternal intelligible substances and first principles.
In Plato nous is the quality enabling one to apprehend the forms. Aristotle distinguished between nous pathetikos (passive reason) and the higher nous, the immortal aspect of the soul, related to nous pathetikos as form is to matter.
Aristotle later developed the idea of nous as an active intellect, distinguishing between potential and actual knowledge. The Neoplatonists further expanded on nous, viewing it as a divine intellect that contemplates itself and emanates all creation.
Nous is central to ancient Greek philosophy as it embodies the principle of rational thought and intellect. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle highlight its importance in achieving true knowledge and understanding.
7 gru 2021 · I present an overview of the features Aristotle attributes to gnōsis (cognition or knowledge), a term Aristotle applies to true cognitive states, whether rational or non-rational. Gnōsis is being in contact with reality.
