Intellect

The intellect ( from Latin intellectus " cognition ", " insight ", " mind ") is a philosophical concept. It refers to the ability to grasp something mentally, and the instance in humans, which is responsible for recognizing and thinking. " Intellect " is often used as a synonym for " mind ", but also the meanings "reason", "consciousness" or "spirit" can have.

Conceptual history

In ancient times, served in the Roman philosophy the noun intellectus, the intel from the verb legere ( " see ", "understand" ) is derived for the translation of the Greek term nous. The Nous played in Greek philosophy, especially Plato and Aristotle and the they founded schools of philosophy ( Platonic Academy, Peripatos ), an important role. Cicero called the Nous is not intellect, but made ​​use of other expressions such animus, mens, ratio and ingenium, but at Seneca and other writers of the Roman Empire the term was familiar to the intellect. In late antiquity, Boethius intellectus used as a philosophical term of art. In the works of St. Augustine the intellectus " rational insight " appears on the importance and usually synonymous with ratio ( " reflection ", " thinking ", "reason ", " insight "). The language of Augustine and Boethius was groundbreaking for the following period, as these authors were of high rank in the Middle Ages authorities.

In the scholastic philosophy and theology of the Middle Ages was intellectus a central concept, which was mainly influenced by the Nous concept of Aristotle. Following Aristotle distinguished the medieval scholars between the agent intellect, the " active " or " causing " intellect and the possible intellect, the "possible intellect " Aristotle as " be suffered Nous " ( nous pathētikós ) had called because he is passive and can only be experienced influences. One false medieval etymology, according to which has been disseminated by authors such as Thomas Aquinas and Meister Eckhart, are intel casual and intellect from intus legere ( "Read inwardly " ) is derived. Thomas understands by the detection of the senses is not accessible " inside " of a thing. For Meister Eckhart intellectus an inner detecting something in a double sense means inwardly in the intellect and into the inner principles of the object of cognition.

Into German the word from the Latin word was adopted as a foreign and came into use from the early 19th century. Herder used in 1797 nor the Latin form ( The pure intellectus ), in Goethe the word is already Germanized ( Intellect ). The corresponding adjective intellectually ( " spiritual " ) was in use as early as the late 18th century; it had been taken over from the French ( intellectuel ).