Aristotle’s Criticism of the Soul’s Self-Motion in DA I

In this paper, I examine Aristotle’s position on the theory of the soul as a self-moving entity in the light of a less negative conception of his discussion with his predecessors. For this purpose, I discuss the hypothesis according to which Aristotle is producing the concepts necessary for his own research through a critique of Plato’s claims. I show that, more than a criticism, what we are witnessing is a process of conceptual appropriation where Aristotle filters an opinion to make a better use of it. I support my argument by showing how Aristotle’s exegetical device works and how it could be connected to his own definitional procedures in De Anima’s book II.