Medicine and philosophy - Classical Homeopathy Online

Aristotle on melancholy 165Aristotle frequently uses the word euphuia. An illuminating example ofthis notion is Aristotle’s frequent reference to metaphors; see the remarkin the Poetics (1459 a 5–7), ‘The most important thing is the ability to usemetaphors. For this is the only thing that cannot be learned from someoneelse and a sign of natural genius; for to produce good metaphors is a matterof perceiving similarities’ ’ Other passages on thisfeature of metaphor (its being incapable of being taught) can be foundin Rhetoric (1405 a 8) and Poet. 1455 a 29ff., which states that the bestpoet is either a genius (euphuēs) or a madman (manikos; cf.Pr. 954 a 32).Aristotle explains his use of the word euphuia in this passage in the Poetics(1459 a 7) by saying that good use of metaphor is based on the ability ‘to seesimilarities’ (to homoion theōrein). This corresponds to the fact that Aristotle(as discussed above in section 2 ad Div. 464 a 32ff.) relates the eustochia ofmelancholics to this very principle: therefore this passage, too, shows theconnection between the ability to perceive similarities and a special naturalpredisposition.It seems to be this connection that enables the melancholic peritton inthe areas of philosophy, politics and poetry. For to Aristotle, the principleof ‘perceiving similarities’ not only plays a part in the use of metaphor 85and in divination in sleep, but also in several intellectual activities such asinduction, definition and indeed philosophy itself. 86 It recognises relevantsimilarities (both similar properties and similar relations and structures)that are not evident or noticeable to everyone, and as such it is able tosee relationships between matters that are far apart. 87 The explicit connectionof this principle with a targeted approach led by intuition (eustochia,Rh. 1412 a 12) and a special predisposition (euphuia, Poet. 1459 a 7) indicatesthat the peritton of melancholics in the areas mentioned should besought in a certain intuition and creativity which does not impede reason,but rather enhances it, with phantasia playing an important mediatoryrole. 88At first it seemed peculiar that the great philosophers Plato, Socratesand Empedocles are taken as examples of the ‘extraordinary melancholics’85 See Bremer (1980) 350–76; Swiggers (1984) 40–5.86 Cf. Rh. 1394 a 5; 1412 a 10 (with the use of the word eustochia); Top. 108 a 7–14; 108 b 7, 24; Metaph.981 a 7. On the principle see Lambert (1966) 169–85.87 Rh. 1412 a 12: ; Top. 108 b 21: 88 See Tracy (1969), passim (in particular 261–4).