Abstract

The fact that Aristotle gives a definition of the soul in the second chapter of the second book of De Anima, which does not differ from the former one in the first chapter, has lead to the hypothesis that Aristotle has revised the text of De Anima. Against this interpretation, which sees the reason of Aristotle’s restatement in the developmental history of the book, it is argued that Aristotle had good reasons for restating his definition, if we take the methodology of his thought into account. Against the received view that we are confronted with different layers of the text, it is argued that A1 to B1-3 form a unity