Table Of ContentARISTOTLE'S THEORY
OF PRACTICAL COGNITION
ARISTOTLE'S THEORY
OF PRACTICAL COGNITION
by
TAKATURA ANDO
Okayama University
THIRD EDITION
THE HAGUE / MARTINUS NI]HOFF / I97I
first edition I958
second edition I965
third edition I97I
ISBN-13: 978-94-011-7529-6 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-011-7527-2
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-011-7527-2
© I97I by Marlinus Nijhol/, The Hague, Nethtnlands
All right restnved, including the right to translate or to
reP1'oduce this book Of' parts thtneof in any form
PREFACE
I have much pleasure in writing a preface to Mr. Takatura Ando's book
on Aristotle. Apart from his intrinsic importance, as one of the three or
four greatest of all philosophers, Aristotle is important on having given
for many centuries the greatest influence in moulding the thought of
European countries. The language difficulty has no doubt prevented
him from exercising very much influence on Japanese thought, and I
welcome very warmly to hear that Mr. Ando is about to have his book
printed in Japan. I hope it will be widely circulated, as it must certain
ly deserve that.
W. D. Ross
AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
In publishing this book, I cannot prohibit myself of reminding the days
and nights when it was written. In that era of worldwide madness,
Aristotle's philosophy was the only refuge wherein my depressed mind
could come to life. It was written bit by bit under all desperate circum
stances throughout the war time. My heart was set on the completion
of this work while the fate allowed me to live. It was nearly carried out
by the end of the war. Having no hope of survival, I buried my manu
script in the earth, without however any expectance of a better lot for
it.
The situation grew worse and worse. Towns and cities were burnt
and perished day by day. There remained only few of them. In a sum
mer night of 1945, an inauspicious siren blew as if pronouncing our
end. I let my wife take refuge with the child, and lay alone on the
ground beside the hole in which my manuscript was stored. The blue
sky was scattered with twinkling stars, and the buzzying of airplanes
came far over from the depth of serene night. I was gazing at the stars
with resignation and despise of human nature, but the corps passed
over my head without making any attack. A few minutes later, the sky
grew red near the horizon, and I found that the victim of that night
was the unfortunate neighbour city. After a few days the citizens of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki met the utmost misery in history. The war was
over, and I survived with my manuscript.
Since that time I tried to publish this manuscript only in vain. At
last, I came to the idea to translate it in English and show it to Sir
W. D. Ross. When this idea was realized, to my great joy, he gave me a
letter full of favour. He acknowledged that he was of the same opinion
with regard to many of my arguments, and guaranteed that my treatise
would be able to contribute to modern study of Aristotle.
Being much encouraged by this letter and following his advice. I
VIII AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
engaged in revising my English with the aid of Dr. S. Nivison of
Stanford University. Now, I am firmly convinced of myself being the
most fortunate fellow who lived under that starry heaven, not only to
enjoy again the Lipton Tea, of which I sadly dreamed in those dreary
nights, but also to get the favour of an eminent British scholar, not
only to taste again Californian raisins that I vainly desired in those
weary days, but also to receive kindness of an excellent American
scholar.
lowe my English also to my former colleague Mr. Tyuzo Utidate,
who read through my manuscript and gave many advices. My special
thanks are due to Prof. John D. Goheen of Stanford University, who
paid warm attention to my work and gave me some help. I am grate
ful to Miss N obuko I wai for her assistance. As regards the English
rendering of the text, lowe much to Oxford translations and Hick's
De Anima.
Kyoto, 1958 T. A.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
Owing to the perennial importance of the subject matter, the previous
editions of this book succeeded in attracting some attention in spite of
its faults both in style and arguments to say nothing of terrible errors
of typography. It is partly for this reason that the author ventured to
publish the new edition. But in truth, a more important motive lies in
the author's desire to recover his self-respect, which was much injured
by his immature work. To this purpose, the text was thoroughly re
written, without, however, making any fundamental change as to the
main tenet except corrections and additional notes ensued from the
reference to some recent works especially of I. J. Walsh and W. F. R.
Hardie.
It is an irony of history that the revision was undertaken amid the
riot of student power. One quarter of a century has passed since the
tragic end of the war. It appears as if the young generation is tired of
the peace. They do not demand this kind of work. Perhaps it would be
the destiny of the philosopher to think sub specie aeternitatis.
Okayama, 1969. T. A.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE v
AUTHOR'S FORWORD VII
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION IX
INTRODUCTION XIII
CHAPTER I: THE STRUCTURE OF THE SOUL I
I. Soul and Body I
2. The Problem of Nous Poietikos II
3. Against Brentano's Interpretation 24
4. Solution of the Problem 43
S. Comparison with Plato's Thought 56
6. Parts of the Soul 65
CHAPTER II: THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SOUL 76
I. The Development of Functions 77
2. The Reference of Functions 89
3. Desire and Pleasure 106
4. Voluntary act 120
CHAPTER III: PRACTICE AND PRODUCTION 138
1. Practice and Production 138
2. Comparison with Kant's Theory 151
3. The Relation between Practice and Production 160
CHAPTER IV: THE STRUCTURE OF INTELLECT 165
1. The classification of intellect 165
2. Doxa and Doxastikon Part 174
3. Practical Cognition and Theoretical Cognition 183
4. Practical Reason 193
S. Practical Wisdom 208
XII TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER V: THE PRACTICAL SYLLOGISM 214
I. Deliberation 214
2. Practical Syllogism and Productive Syllogism 221
3. Practical Cognition of Ends 230
4. Continence and Temperance 245
5. The Relation between Practical Syllogism and Pro-
ductive Syllogism 254
6. Comparison with Kant 261
INDEXES 266
INTRODUCTION
Among the difficulties of Aristotle interpretation, there are two
problems of crucial importance, both concerned with the concept of
reason, viz., the so-called voue; 7tOL"I)'t"Lx6e; in the De Anima and the
7tpOCX't"LXOe; voue; in the Ethica Nicomachea, though strictly speaking these
terms are not found in Aristotle's own statement. voue; 7tOL"I)'t"LX6e; is
opposed to voue; 7tOC6"1)'t"LX6e; or voue; ~UVcX[leL and forms the core of im
mortal agent, while 7tpOCX't"LXOe; voue; constitutes a part of practical
intellect or practical syllogism. These concepts appear in Aristotle's
thought independently from different points of view. The \/OUe; in the
De Anima is treated as a substance or an agent of thinking, while in the
Ethica Nicomachea it is treated as a special function. Whence comes this
difference of view points may form an interesting subject of inquiry,
which however, we cannot engage in for the moment.
The chief end of this study is to solve the questions concerning prac
tical wisdom, for instance: "What is the function of practical intellect,
including of course 7tpotX"nxo.; vou.; in the strict sense?" "What is the
construction of practical reasoning?" "How is it distinguished from
theoretical reasoning?" "What is the relation between desire, will and
intellect with each other?" "In what sense Aristotle admitted moral
responsibility and what is the so-called moral weakness?" and so
on.
To solve these fundamental questions of Aristotle's ethical theory,
this study adopts the wide scope method, and instead of confining itself
to a logico-philological investigation in some particular statements in
the Ethica, it takes a survey of the whole corpus, especially De Anima
and other biological and physiological books, whereby a special aid is
sought in the voue; concept in the De Anima, which gives a leading
principle for the division of the soul, and thus illustrates the interre
lation of various mental functions. But apart from this contribution to
