The Aristotelian Theory of the Soul

The Aristotelian Theory of the Soul views the soul as the essential principle that animates and gives life to a living being, aligning with its natural functions. Aristotle identified three types of soul: the vegetative (basic life functions like growth and nutrition), the sensitive (desire and movement, found in animals), and the rational (thinking and reasoning, unique to humans). The soul is not separate from the body but the form that makes an organism what it is. It develops with the body and cannot exist independently, serving as the underlying principle of a living organism’s capabilities.