Soul (pneuma) and body relation in the philosophy of Athenaeus of Attalia abstract

Abstract

The philosophy that emerged in Ancient Greece has undergone many changes and continued its development. The first change in philosophy was realized by shifting focus from nature to man, and the second change was realized by Plato and Aristotle during the systematic period in which the general framework of philosophy was drawn. It can be said that the general framework drawn during this process influenced the field of medicine as well as philosophy. This influence appeared clearly in the 1st century BC. This study aims to reveal which schools of thought were adopted by Athenaeus, who was also a physician as well as a philosopher, in soul/body dualism and what kind of sources he utilized for practicing his profession. Accordingly, one can state that explaining the philosophy of Athenaeus based on Platonic and Stoic thought makes the relationship between soul and body that constitutes an important basis of discussion of that period more understandable. As a matter of fact, during the foundation period of the Roman Empire, physicians tried to cure both mental and physiological diseases by psychological treatments. Furthermore, this understanding is important in terms of showing that physical diseases are also related to mental states. The efforts of physicians to cure patients with psychological disorders through distracting exercises can be read as a result of such a thought. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.