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Philosophical Psychology, Byzantine

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Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy

Abstract

Byzantine psychology can be characterized as a complex of problems connected with the relation between the soul and the body, divisions of the soul (tripartite division), the immortality of the soul, internal senses (imagination, memory), the theory of pneuma, passions, emotions, dreams, etc. A specific feature of Byzantine psychological thought is the continuity with the ancient theories on the soul, mainly of Aristotle. Some of the sources of Byzantine psychology were Aristotle’s De anima, Galen’s works, late commentaries on the De anima (Simplicius, Philoponos, Stephanus), and Patristic texts. The most influential ideas about psychology in early Byzantine period come from Nemesius, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, Maximus the Confessor, and John of Damascus. The Byzantine scholars who were interested in such issues were Michael Psellos, Michael of Ephesus, Nikephoros Blemmydes, Sophonias, Nikephoros Choumnos, Theodore Metochites, Nikephoros Gregoras, Gregory Palamas, George Gemistos Plethon, and Gennadios Scholarios.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Center for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Jozef Matula

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  1. Jozef Matula
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  1. Department of Philosophy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

    Henrik Lagerlund

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Matula, J. (2011). Philosophical Psychology, Byzantine. In: Lagerlund, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9729-4_394

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9729-4_394

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