To Get Rid of the Aristotelian Soul : Bernardino Telesio's Physiology and its Aftermath

This paper is devoted to the physiology of the first novatores, notably to that of Bernardino Telesio and his followers. The term novatores has been used since the seventeenth century to trace a narrative of ‘innovators' in natural philosophy against the Aristotelian hegemony, and Telesio has been included in this narrative as the first and earliest. Consequently, its impact on modern philosophy has been examined from various perspectives, surprisingly leaving out physiology. In addition, Telesio's notion of spiritus, which lies at the heart of his conception of living beings, has rarely been regarded as such, that is, as a biological concept meant to oppose Aristotle's account of life. Therefore, I will first address Telesio's critical engagement with Aristotle's physiology and the reshaping of Aristotelian terminology that he brings forth.

In particular, I will focus on the harsh criticism of the Aristotelian notion of the soul as form. Then, I will outline some further developments of Telesio's physiology, especially among his main followers: Agostino Doni, Antonio Persio, and Tommaso Campanella. [Publisher's text]

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