Posidonius’ Teaching about Soul (Episode of Psychological Searches in Distant Ages)


	Philosophy and Culture Reference: Stolyarov, A. A. Posidonius’ Teaching about Soul (Episode of Psychological Searches in Distant Ages) // Philosophy and Culture. 2014. № 6. P. 814-828. URL: https://en.nbpublish.com/library_read_article.php?id=65121 Stolyarov, A. A. Posidonius’ Teaching about Soul (Episode of Psychological Searches in Distant Ages) Abstract: Throughout centuries anthropological issues of European philosophy has been having a rather invariant nature. By comparing anthropological views of Chrysippus as a famous author of Early Stoa and Posidonius as a leading philosopher of Middle Stoa (as stated by one of the major ancient surgeon and philosopher), the author demonstrates that their opinions on human nature and mental organization of human are still important and popular today. However, the author of the article underlines the specific features of the mental schemes, range of problems and intellectual environment of those times as well as takes into account the incommensurability of the ‘amount’ of philosophical experience in those times and today. Thisallowstobetterunderstandthecontinuitybetweenancient philosophy and modern philosophy as well as the connection between anthropological, psychological and ethic issues. The author makes an assumption that both Chrysippus and Posidonius wanted to create the harmony between an ‘integral’ individual (as they thought) and the universe and to give that individual the kind of skills and capabilities that would help him to overcome life troubles. The major part of sources provided by the author to illustrate the peculiarities of anthropological reflection in the ancient times is brought to the notice of the Russian audience for the first time. Keywords: historical and philosophical comparative studies, anthropology, psychology, ethics, ancient philosophy, Early Stoa, Middle Stoa, Chrysippus, Posidonius, Galen. This article can be downloaded freely in PDF format for reading. Download article References 1. Gurevich P.S. Vektory sovremennogo postizheniya cheloveka // Filosofskiy zhurnal. 2013. № 2 (11). S. 95–106. 2. Fillion-Lahille J. Le De ira de Sénèque et la philosophie stoïcienne des passions. Paris, 1984. 3. Forschner M. Die Stoische Ethik. Über den Zusammenhang von Natur, – Sprach – und Moralphilosophie im altstoischen System. Stuttgart, 1981. 4. Galen. On the Doctrines of Hippocrates and Plato. Edition, Translation and Commentary by Phillip De Lacy. 3 Ed. Berlin, 2005 (Corpus Medicorum Graecorum V 4,1,2). 5. Gill Ch. Did Galen Understand Platonic and Stoic Thinking on Emotions? // The Emotions in Hellenistic Philosophy / Ed. J.Sihvola, T.Engberg-Pedersen. Dordrecht, 1998. P. 113–148. 6. Glibert-Thirry A. La théorie stoïcienne de la passion chez Chrysippe et son evolution chez Posidonius // Revue Philosophique de Louvain 75. 1977. P. 393–435. 7. Graeser A. Zenon von Kition. Positionen und Probleme. Berlin; New York, 1975. 8. Inwood B. Ethics and Human Action in Early Stoicism. Oxford, 1985. 9. Long A.A. Hierocles on oikeiosis and self-perception // Long A.A. Stoic Studies. Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2001. P. 250–263. 10. Pembroke S. Oikeiosis // Problems in Stoicism / Ed. A.A. Long. London, 1971. P 114–149. 11. Philippson R. Zur Psychologie der Stoa // Rheinisches Museum 86. 1937. S. 140 –179. 12. Pohlenz M. Die Stoa. Geschichte einer geistigen Bewegung. Bd. 1. 2 Aufl. Göttingen, 1955. 13. Posidonius. I. The Fragments / Ed. by L.Edelstein and I.G.Kidd. 2 Ed. Cambridge, 1989. 14. Rist J. Stoic Philosophy. Cambridge, 1969. 15. Stevens J. Posidonian Polemic and Academic Dialectic: The Impact of Carneades upon Posidonius’  // Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 34 (3). 1993. P. 229–323.

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Stolyarov, A. A. Posidonius’ Teaching about Soul (Episode of Psychological Searches in Distant Ages)