Aristotle’s Agent Intellect: Myth or Literal Account?

THE THOMIST A SPECULATIVE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY EDITORS: THE DOMINICAN FATHERS OF THE Pnov1NCE OF ST. JosEPH Publishers: The Thomist Press, Washington, D. C. 20017 VoL. XL OCTOBER, 1976 ARISTOTLE'S AGENT INTELLECT: MYTH OR LITERAL ACCOUNT? No. 4 AS MUCH AS it is crucial for a correct understanding of Aristotle's epistemology, the following passage of De Anima,, taken from Bk. III, 5, 430 a 20-25, is among the most debated texts in the whole history of philosophy: TtJ 8' aim~ lcmv ~ KaT' lvtpynav E'Trl 7rpayµ.an • ~ 8e KaTa 8-Dvaµ.iv xp6vip 7rpoTepa lv T M, oAw• 8e ou xp6vip • a>..A' oux bTe µ.ev vo€t: bTe 8' ou V0€t. xwpt8elpe