Aristotle Refute the Harmonia Theory of the Soul?-No

There are different versions of the harmonia theory.In Aristotle’s On the Soul he considers and refutes two very narrow specifications: a harmonia is either a ratio of certain parts of the body or it’s a material composite, namely, the living body. Thus he is able to reject both of these without, thereby, undercutting his view that the soul is the form of a living body. The reason for the perplexity of Aristotle’s commentators is that it turns out that he’s committed to a version of the view he’s trying to refute. He rejects versions of the harmonia theory, but in the end the view he accepts is itself a harmonia account. By carefully distinguishing and arguing against the versions of the theory he finds objectionable, Aristotle is able to accept what the harmonia theory gets right namely, that the soul is the structure of the living body.

This conclusion is made by Douglas J Young, Department of Philosophy ,Lycoming College,USA. Through analyzing,he claimed that Aristotle’s hylomorphic account is, in fact, an instance of the harmonia theory.

(source:SCIRP)