Aquinas on 'Active Intellect' and 'Human Individuality'

Abstract

Contrary to the tradition of Islamic philosophers, who interpret Aristoteles' active intellect as transcendent cosmic intellect, Aquinas interprets the active intellect as immmanent in human individual soul. This interpretation suggests that Aquinas rejects the Neo-Platonic scheme of epistemology, which was current among the Islamic philosophers. On the other hand, he takes Platonic position about the subsistence of soul. This ambiguous attitude to the Platonism cannot be explained in Platonism-vs-Aristotelianism sheme. I have tried to clarify that the Aquinas' basic position, recognized throughout this ambiguity, is his emphasis on the human individuality.