Decay Quote by Aristotle
“What has soul in it differs from what has not, in that the former displays life. Now this word has more than one sense, and provided any one alone of these is found in a thing we say that thing is living. Living, that is, may mean thinking or perception or local movement and rest, or movement in the sense of nutrition, decay and growth. Hence we think of plants also as living, for they are observed to possess in themselves an originative power through which they increase or decrease in all spatial directions.”
About This Quote
Source Treatise: De Anima (On the Soul), 4th century BC
Living things possess a soul that manifests as thinking, perception, movement, nutrition, decay, and growth; plants exhibit life through growth and change.
In simple terms: Soul shows life through activity.
Key Takeaway
Observe growth as evidence of life.
Themes
biology
philosophy
ontology
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- gardening
- biology studies
- personal health monitoring
Key Concepts
teleology
vitalism
perception
Questions to Reflect On
- What distinguishes living from non‑living motion?
- How does consciousness fit this view?
A Different Perspective
Not all movement indicates a soul.
