Description

Hendrik Lorenz presents a comprehensive study of Plato's and Aristotle's conceptions of non-rational desire. They see this as something that humans share with animals, and which aims primarily at the pleasures of food, drink, and sex. Lorenz explores the cognitive resources that both philosophers make available for the explanation of such desires, and what they take rationality to add to the motivational structure of human beings. In doing so, he exposes a remarkable degree of continuity between Plato's and Aristotle's thought in this area. He also sheds fresh light, not only on both philosophers' theories of motivation, but also on how they conceive of the mind, both in itself and in relation to the body.

Features

• How did Plato and Aristotle explain our fundamental desires?
• Lorenz gives the first comprehensive account of their views
• Relevant to modern work on emotion, rationality, motivation, and philosophy of psychology as well as ancient philosophy

Reviews

"Provocative and stimulating."--Rod Jenks, Ancient Philosophy

Product Details

240 pages; ISBN13: 978-0-19-929063-5ISBN10: 0-19-929063-6

About the Author(s)