Philosophical points of rational knowledge in the theoretical and practical system of Galen on the basis of the example of “Adhortatio ad artes addiscendas”)
Keywords:
history of medicine, history of science, Galen, rational knowledge, truth, epistemology, technical skillsAbstract
In an analysis of Galen's “Adhortatio ad artes addiscendas,” the authors examine its epistemological model. One of the main theses of Galen is the quality of the human soul (the presence of intelligent design within it), which provides for the possibility of rationally exploring the surrounding world. The result of rational-empirical activity is the acquisition of true knowledge. Man, according to the Roman physician, is capable of consciously choosing a field of employment and meaningfully and purposefully acquiring so-called “technical skills.” The resilience of the resulting skills, based on knowledge and proven by logic, is the result of hard work (the process of obtaining empirical evidence and engaging in speculative practices, and their contemplation) and the daily practice of these endeavors (theoretical and practical).
According to Galen, all that is important for the development of the human capacity for rational knowledge of art can be divided into three levels: higher (spiritual, sacred) – medicine, rhetoric, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, grammar, law, music; handicraft art – pottery, architecture, carpentry, teaching in school, sculpture, and painting; and all other forms of activity (acrobatics, athletics, and so on). One of Galen's basic ideas is the importance of rational knowledge in conjunction with internal and external harmony (body and soul), which is achieved by working on the unconscious (controlling basic human passions: the struggle with pride, avarice, and gluttony).
Only this approach, according to Galen, allows a person to fully realize all the possibilities of the mind and master true art, comprehending the true nature of things and the laws of nature.
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