Forms Souls and Embryos

<p>Forms, Souls, and Embryos allows readers coming from different backgrounds to appreciate the depth and originality with which the Neoplatonists engaged with and responded to a number of philosophical questions central to human reproduction, including: What is the causal explanation of the embryo’s formation? How and to what extent are Platonic Forms involved? In what sense is a fetus ‘alive,’ and when does it become a human being? Where does the embryo’s soul come from, and how is it connected to its body? This is the first full-length study in English of this fascinating subject, and is a must-read for anyone interested in Neoplatonism or the history of medicine and embryology.</p> <p>Introduction</p><p>Chapter 1: <i>The Embryological Background</i></p><p>General Background: Four Key Issues in Ancient Embryology</p><p>Embryology in Plato</p><p>Chapter 2: <i>The Metaphysical Background</i></p><p>Metaphysical Models in Embryology</p><p>The Biological Development of the Theory of Forms</p><p>Chapter 3: <i>Neoplatonic Embryology: The Core Theory</i></p><p>The One-Seed Theory</p><p>The Origin and Nature of the Seed</p><p>The Maternal Actualization of the Seed</p><p>Other External Factors in the Formation of the Offspring</p><p>Appendix to Chapter 3: <i>Eclectic Theories</i></p><p>The Commentary on the Hippocratic <i>On the Nature of the Child</i> by John of Alexandria</p><p>Theophilus Protospatharius’ <i>On the Construction of the Human Being</i></p><p>Pseudo-Galen’s <i>De Spermate</i></p><p>Pseudo-Iamblichus’ <i>Theology of Arithmetic</i></p><p>Pseudo-Galen’s <i>Whether What is Carried in the Womb is a Living Thing</i></p><p>The Commentary on Aristotle’s <i>On the Generation of Animals</i> by Michael of Ephesus</p><p>Michael’s Interpretation of Aristotle’s Embryology</p><p>Michael’s Interpretation of Plato’s Embryology</p><p>Chapter 4: <i>Formation and Animation of the Embryo</i></p><p>The Order of the Embryo’s Formation</p><p>The Animation of the Embryo</p><p>Chapter 5: <i>The Problem of Teratogenesis</i></p><p>Epilogue</p><p>Bibliography</p><p>Index Locorum</p><p>Subject Index</p>