Doctoral thesis
English

Memory and Recollection in the Aristotelian Commentators

ContributorsArgyri, Dafni
Number of pages313
Imprimatur date2025-03-24
Defense date2025
Abstract

The aim of the present thesis is to present and discuss theories of memory endorsed by the commentators of Aristotelian works. Exponents from all three major groups of Aristotelian commentators are being investigated in this context. The first part focuses on the views of Alexander of Aphrodisias, who is the first to postulate a separate mnemonic capacity in the soul. The second part discusses the views of Neoplatonists, such as Philoponus and Simplicius. The analyzed texts mainly come from commentaries on Aristotle’s De anima and from commentaries on Aristotle’s treatises in which the acquisition of knowledge is discussed. The last part of the thesis investigates the Byzantine reception of Aristotle's De memoria, a tradition that mainly derives from the sole extant commentary of this work, composed by Michael of Ephesus. Overall, the work serves as a general introduction to the theories of memory in Late Antiquity, and also as a collection of the relevant sources.

Keywords
  • Ancient commentators
  • Memory
  • Recollection
  • Alexander of Aphrodisias
  • Michael of Ephesus
  • Neoplatonism
  • Late Antiquity
  • μνήμη
  • De memoria
  • Aristotle
Citation (ISO format)
ARGYRI, Dafni. Memory and Recollection in the Aristotelian Commentators. Thèse, 2025. doi: 10.13097/archive-ouverte/unige:185337
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Creation13/05/2025 10:10:00
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Update06/02/2026 16:52:23
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