A Historical Perspective: Ancient Theories

• Chrysippus (280-209 BC)
• Passions = Erroneous hasty judgments. They are disease of the reason, more than disease of the soul.
• Physiolohy: Passions are modifications of the general tone of the pneuma. The specifics (which modification, how do they evolve?...) are not specified.
• Plutarch (46?-120? AC)
• Passions = Perverse opinions and false judgments. They ae by-products of mental functions.
• Posidonius (130-46 BC)
• Posidonius criticizes Chrysippus' Theory:
• Irrational cannot spring from reason (judgment faculty), hence passions are not erroneous judgments.
• Some emotions elicit different responses from different people, hence it is not a disease.
• Ideas containing a large amount of good or evil, do not necessarily elicit passions. However, futile ideas sometimes do.
• Posidonius reverted to the Platonic view:
• Passions are irrational faculties.
• Passions are movement of mental processes in the irrational soul, hence independent of judgments.
• Lower animals have passions.

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Editor: Jean-Marc Fellous

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