Medicine and philosophy - Classical Homeopathy Online

162 Aristotle and his schoolto use it as a starting point for a discussion on the instability (anōmalia)ofthe melancholic nature rather than for any other purpose. 79 In addition,the text explicitly states that the physiological balance which forms the basisof extraordinary achievements is uncertain and unstable. 80 These two factsunderline the exceptional nature of the melancholic peritton; they clearlyshow that this notion was apparently considered a negligible factor and assuch played no part in Aristotle’s theory of virtue, and as a philosophicallyinsignificant empirical phenomenon was only discussed in a text such asthe Problemata. 81The fact that the medical observations that are so typical of the Problemataare absent from Aristotle’s statements on melancholics and the factthat Aristotle only discusses the ‘manic’ or ‘passionate’ expressions of melancholy(Flashar (1962) 713) therefore do not, in my opinion, have any implicationfor the relationship between Aristotle and Pr. 30.1. The differencein objectives between these texts, and in particular Aristotle’s fundamentallylimited interest in medical issues in his works on natural science (anda fortiori those on ethics), seem largely to explain this lack of balance orat least make it understandable. In Aristotle’s work, the number of passagesin which the ‘manic’ expressions of the melancholic nature are worthmentioning as illustrative examples (for instance contexts that mention itssensitivity to desires and passions) outnumber the passages that would besuitable for mentioning its ‘depressive’ manifestations. On a total of nineoccurrences, this might prove a sufficient explanation. In addition, it shouldbe noted that Aristotle fully takes into account the effects of cold that aretypical to melancholy, as is shown in Somn. vig. 457 a 31 (i.e. disregardingMag. mor. 1203 b 1, which is probably not written by Aristotle and thereforedoes not constitute proof).The most important reason for any irreconcilability between Aristotle’sview on melancholy and the theory presented in Pr. 30.1 has so far beengiven little attention by scholars. This reason would be that Aristotle denies79 This observation is very much in accordance with the fact that the structure of the text differs greatlyfrom the other Problemata. Similarly, it fits in well with the suggestion (see Flashar (1962) 711, 714;Flashar (1966) 61; Müri (1953) 21) that this chapter consists of an editorial combination of a typicalProblemata question and an excerpt of a treatise on melancholy, in which answering the questionposed at the start of the chapter was perhaps not the main objective of the author. For a differentexplanation for the structure of this chapter see section 7 below.80 Tellenbach (1961, 9) correctly states that these perittoi are characterised by an above-average instability.81 In this respect the peritton of melancholics can be compared to the phenomenon of eutuchia,discussed in Eth. Eud. 8.2 (see ch. 8 below), with divination in sleep as discussed in On Divination inSleep (see ch. 6 below) [and the peritton mentioned in Part. an. 4.10, 686 b 26]. Although Aristotleconsiders both to be results of experience, they play no part in his ethics and psychology, perhapsbecause of their uncontrollable nature and instability.