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Approaches to pain in classical Greek philosophy and medicine
Linka, Vojtěch ; Bartoš, Hynek (advisor) ; Thumiger, Chiara (referee) ; Cheng, Wei (referee)
Linka, V. Dissertation: Approaches to Pain in Classical Greek Philosophy and Medicine In this dissertation, I undertake an exploration of the approaches to the problem of pain within classical Greek philosophy and medicine. The aim of my research is to investigate the role of pain by analysing the most prevalent Greek words denoting pain in three ancient text collections: the Corpus Hippocraticum, Corpus Platonicum, and Corpus Aristotelicum. As an omnipresent phenomenon inherent to both human and animal life, pain held significant importance as a theme for medical and philosophical contemplation during antiquity. In the introductory section, I not only outline the theme, methodologies, and contemporary discussions on pain in antiquity but also provide an overview of the origins of classical Greek approaches to pain. This involves summarizing the conceptualization of pain in various genres and works from Homer to the authors who lived contemporaneously with Aristotle. Throughout the three central chapters of this dissertation, I concentrate on addressing the following research questions: What is pain? Are there distinct kinds of pain? What role does pain play? During the course of this dissertation, I elucidate and critically evaluate how these questions were addressed by the physicians and...
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Aristotle on Experience of Pain
Linka, Vojtěch ; Roreitner, Robert (advisor) ; Thein, Karel (referee)
Aristotle on Experience of Pain Master thesis ÚFaR FF UK Bc. Vojtěch Linka Supervisor: Mgr. Robert Roreitner Abstract in English: In my master thesis, I focus on the problem of experiencing pain in Aristotle. My work is based on analysis of Nicomachean Ethics and On the soul. With these texts, I reconstruct Aristotle's theory of pain. I start with an analysis of pleasure and of the pair pleasure-pain, by which I gain basic material for further work. The most important idea here is that there is a connection between pleasure and activity (energeia). I will use this idea in the analysis of pain, too. Pain will be analyzed through passages where Aristotle explicitly mentions it and through a thought experiment, where I focus on how Aristotle would have explained chronic pain. After these analyses I will be able to formulate a theory of pain, where pain is understood as something which hinders activity. I interpret this theory in the context of Aristotle's psychology. After the analyses and interpretation, I am able, at the end of my work, answer the question how animals are experiencing pain.
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Saadia Gaon and Maimonides on evil and suffering
Linka, Vojtěch ; Válová, Dita (advisor) ; Lyčka, Milan (referee)
in English: In my bachelor thesis, I am dealing with the problem of evil and suffering in the two major figures of medieval Jewish philosophy, Saadyah Gaon and Maimonides. First, I am showing the place of evil and suffering in the context of western philosophical tradition. Then, I am depicting the specifically Jewish understanding of the problem based on the Biblical book of Job. In the central part of my thesis, I am exploring the passages of writings of Saadyah and Maimonides devoted to evil and suffering. Furthermore, I am comparing both conceptions of the problem and I am showing the Maimonides' conception as being in some way a criticism of Saadyah, especially his understanding of suffering as a trial. In the conclusion, I am dealing with some common aspects of Saadyahs and Maimonides' understanding of evil and suffering. I am proving that their understanding of evil has some specific Jewish aspects based on the Biblical book of Job, and particular for Medieval thinking in general. These aspects show clearly that the conception of evil and suffering of Saadyah and Maimonides broadly differs from the contemporary conceptions of the problem.
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