Accounts Quote by Albertus Magnus
“To say that there is a soul in stones simply in order to account for their production is unsatisfactory: for their production is not like the reproduction of living plants, and of animals which have senses. For all these we see reproducing their own species from their own seeds; and a stone does not do this at all. We never see stones reproduced from stones; ... because a stone seems to have no reproductive power at all.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: De Natura Rerum, 13th century
Stones lack reproductive ability unlike living organisms, so attributing a soul to explain their existence is inadequate.
In simple terms: Stones don’t reproduce, so a soul isn’t needed to explain them.
Key Takeaway
Recognize different explanations for living vs. non‑living.
Themes
philosophy
biology
metaphysics
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
inquisitive
When to use this quote
- scientific inquiry
- education
- debates on consciousness
- environmental ethics
Key Concepts
Aristotelian causality
essentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- Do non‑living things require a soul?
- How do we explain natural processes without souls?
A Different Perspective
The argument assumes a soul is only needed for reproduction, ignoring other philosophical perspectives.
![“Evidence of this [transformation of animals into fossils] is that parts of aquatic animals and perhaps of naval gear are found in rock in hollows on mountains, which water no doubt deposited there enveloped in sticky mud, and which were prevented by coldness and dryness of the stone from…” quote by Albertus Magnus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5a7/albertus-magnus-39861_animal_evidence-of-this-transformation-of-anima_3017159.jpg)
