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Aisthêsis and askêsis: Inward Attentiveness and Embodiment in Galen’s Pulse-Lore

By Jessica Wright

“Agathinus says indeed that the contraction of the pulse is imperceptible (ἀναίσθητον), but Herophilus argues throughout as if he perceives it (ὑπὲρ ἀισθητῆς). Truly, it is difficult, even impossible, to believe one over the other … both having trained (γεγυμνασμένων) their faculties of reason and perception (τὴν αἴσθησιν) over a long time; indeed, it seemed fair that I should first hone (ἀσκῆσαι) my sense of touch to detect (αἰσθάνεσθαι) small differences.” (Galen, Peri Diagnôseôs 1.3, Kühn 8.786-7)

Seeing Through the Womb

By Lisl Walsh

A.E. Hanson has thoroughly explored the agency granted to the human uterus in the Hippocratic corpus and Plato’s Timaeus: according to the Platonic treatise, the uterus is much like a sentient animal living within the female body, and the Hippocratic treatises regularly make use of “odor therapy” to attract or repel a misplaced uterus back into its appropriate location, as if it were mechanically or voluntarily affected by sweet or pungent scents.

Aristotle on the Tongue

By Alexander Robins

The tongue in Aristotle is a complicated sense organ with multiple functions. It is simultaneously the site of laudable speech, immoral gluttony, and two distinct sensations of taste and touch. In my paper I will survey Aristotle’s discussion of tongues throughout his authorship to point out some conceptual peculiarities and discuss their implications for Aristotle’s general theory of perception. Of primary interest will be Aristotle’s treatment of the tongue as an organ of both touch perception and taste perception.

Dreams and the Physiology of Memory in Aristotle’s Parva Naturalia

By Claire Coiro Bubb

This paper uses Aristotle’s treatment of the physiological process of dreaming in the Parva Naturalia to illuminate his beliefs about the mechanisms of memory and recollection. Aristotle categorizes memory and recollection as activities of sensation (450a14) and reason (453a10-14), respectively, but he is also clear that both are physical phenomena (450a30-b11; 453a14-21). However, he nowhere offers a coherent explanation of the physical details.