„Virtus cerebri – organum animae“
Albert der Große über pythagoreische Lokalisations- und Gehirntheorien
The first part of this essay analyses the beginning of the philosophy of the brain in early Greece by looking at
the Pythagorean theories of the brain. The knowledge of this innovative achievement of the Pythagorean school was never completely
lost; it also got through to the Middle Ages.
The second part focuses on the effect of Pythagorean thinking on Albert the Great. Albert systematically studied
all available sources on Pythagoreanism and in doing so acquired extensive knowledge of this philosophical movement. In the
process, he also thought through the psychology of the Pythagoreans and came across their brain theory, which he carefully
analysed, commented on, and criticised.
Albert interpreted the brain-theoretical theses of the Pythagoreans that came to his knowledge from the viewpoint
of a speculative construct of Pythagorean psychology, but in essence his accounts, as the third part of this article proves, match
the historically secured facts from ancient sources: Albert knew that the Pythagoreans had not only thought out the relationship
between mind and brain, but had also considered the question, which is so intensely debated today, whether animals think.
The fourth and final part concludes the investigation by reconstructing the basic lines of Albert’s own brain
theory: Albert developed a philosophy of the mind which, although allowing a mediated relationship of the intellect with the
brain, rather emphasised the separation of the mind from the somatic sphere. From his point of view, the brain has no decisive
function in the thought process. Because the Pythagoreans had thought differently, Albert only took critical note of their
views.
Article outline
- Vorbemerkung
- A.Pythagoreische Lokalisations- und Gehirntheorien in der Antike
- 1.Einführung
- 2.,Pythagoras‘
- 3.Alkmaion von Kroton
- 4.Unbekannte Pythagoreer bei Diogenes Laertius
- 5.Der Spruch des Philolaos
- 6.Vorblick
- B.Albert der Große
- 1.Albert der Große über Pythagoras und Pythagoreismus
- 1.1Einführung
- 1.2„Pythagoras latinus“ – Alberts Quellen zu Pythagoras und Pythagoreer
- 1.3„vir utique probissimus“ – Pythagoras als Wissenschaftler
- 1.4„Pythagorici et sui sequaces“ – Die Schule des Pythagoras
- 1.5„magna philosophia“ – Pythagoreische Philosophie der Zahlen
- 2.Albert zur pythagoreischen Seelenlehre
- 2.1Einführung
- 2.2Pythagoreische Definitionen der Seele
- 2.2.1Die Seele als Selbstbewegung
- 2.2.2Die Seele als sich selbst bewegende Zahl
- 2.3Gott als Weltseele
- 2.4Beseelung des Himmels
- 2.5Seelenwanderung
- 3.Albert der Große zur pythagoreischen Gehirntheorie
- 3.1Dokument I (cerebrum obtinere locum sublimis et caelestis animalis)
- 3.2Dokument II (ratiocinatur ex virtute cerebri)
- 3.3Dokument III: Nachwirkung der pythagoreischen Gehirntheorie bei Platon
- 3.4Dokument IV: Mikrokosmos
- 3.5Dokument V: Makrokosmos
- C.Kritische Prüfung der zentralen Referate Alberts zur pythagoreischen Gehirntheorie
- 1.Einführung
- 2.Organ und Leiblichkeit
- 2.1Das Philolaos-Fragment: Herkunft und frühe Interpretationsgeschichte
- 2.2Die vier Lebenskreise des Pythagoras nach Albert
- 2.3„cor animal principale“
- 2.4Kritische Wertung und Würdigung
- 3.Gehirn – Geist – Denken
- 3.1Zur pythagoreischen Theorie der Weltseele
- 3.2Weltseele, menschliches Gehirn, Denken
- 3.3Denken Tiere?
- D.Albert der Große über Gehirn und Intellekt
- 1.Skizze der Gehirntheorie Alberts
- 2.Intellekt und Gehirn
- Zusammenfassung und Ausblick
- Anmerkungen
Article language: German