Two Greek Aristotelian Commentators on the Intellect: The « De Intellectu » Attributed to Alexander of Aphrodisias and Thiemistius’ Paraphrase of Aristotle « De Anima » 3.4-8

No Aristotelian doctrine had a greater influence on medieval philosophy and theology than that of the agent, or active, intellect. This influence, however, was mediated by a long tradition of exegesis in which the Greek commentaries of later antiquity played a dominant role. The two commentaries presented here were known to have been influential in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The first is a short treatise called the "De intellectu", attributed to Alexander of Aphrodisias; the second a paraphrase of Aristotle's "De anima" (3.4-8) by Themistius, which also includes a major interpretation of "De anima" (3.5), the chapte on the active intellect. The translations of these texts with introduction, commentary and notes will helps students of medieval renaissance philosophy to appreciate the individual character of these commentaries, and thereby develop a more precise picture of their influence.