Life, Mind, and Soul in the Philosophia Naturalis of János Apáczai Csere
Life, Mind, and Soul in the Philosophia Naturalis of János Apáczai Csere
Author(s): Robert ArnăutuSubject(s): History, Philosophy
Published by: Academia Română – Centrul de Studii Transilvane
Keywords: János Apáczai Csere; Philosophia naturalis; early modern philosophy; Descartes; Regius
Summary/Abstract: One of the main changes effected by Descartes in metaphysics was the elimination of life as the most central characteristic of the soul, and the identification of the latter with the mind. Life as a vital spiritual force is replaced with life as a material fire located in the heart. Writing in a Cartesian framework, and influenced by Regius, János Apáczai Csere reinstates the soul as the principle of life in humans, while acknowledging the strictly materialistic life of beasts.
Journal: Transylvanian Review
- Issue Year: XXV/2016
- Issue No: 03
- Page Range: 23-42
- Page Count: 20
- Language: English
