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Affectus & Intellectus: A Medieval Point of View



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Peter Nickl

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DOI:10.17265/2159-5313/2015.07.003

To put the ongoing debate in the philosophy of emotions in a wider context, access to medieval philosophy could turn out to be useful. Huxley’s “Brave New World” is a world without history and without strong emotions—so let’s plea for both. The medieval complementarity of intellectus and affectus is an example of the central role of the emotive powers in medieval anthropology. It could be worth discussing even today, as well as the notion of scientia affectiva. By the way, a Franciscan thinker of the 13th century, Olivi, seems to explain better than Descartes the depths of subjectivity: I think, therefore I am—but I feel, therefore I am I.

affectus, intellectus, subjectivity in medieval philosophy, scientia affectiva