Rational Assent and Self-Reversion: A Neoplatonist Response to the Stoics, 2016
By: Coope, Ursula
Title Rational Assent and Self-Reversion: A Neoplatonist Response to the Stoics
Type Article
Language English
Date 2016
Journal Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy
Volume 50
Pages 237-288
Categories no categories
Author(s) Coope, Ursula
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
Humans are accountable for what they do and believe in a way that other animals are not. T h e Stoics held that this is because hu­mans are rational, and in particular because they have the capacity for rational assent. But how exactly does the capacity for rational assent explain accountability? O ur Stoic sources do not explicitly answer this question, but I argue that they suggest the following view. Humans are responsible for assenting (and withholding as­ sent) just because o f the way in which the capacity for assent is reason-responsive: you can assent (or withhold assent) for reasons, and if you know whether or not you should be assenting, you can be guided by this knowledge in either assenting or withholding assent.This view, however, raises certain further questions. What is it about the nature o f our capacity for assent that enables it to be reason-responsive in a way that other psychic capacities are not? Why can one assent for a reason, but not have at* impression of something's being the case for a reason? I argue that a basis for answering these questions can be found in a perhaps surprising source: ps.-Simplicius' sixth-century commentary on Aristotle's De anima. Ps.-Simplicius draws on the Neoplatonist notion of self-reversion to explain what is distinctive about the rational capacity for assent. His account, I claim, provides a basis for explaining the distinctively reason-responsive nature of our capacity for assent. [Introduction, p. 287]

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Rational Assent and Self-Reversion: A Neoplatonist Response to the Stoics, 2016
By: Coope, Ursula
Title Rational Assent and Self-Reversion: A Neoplatonist Response to the Stoics
Type Article
Language English
Date 2016
Journal Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy
Volume 50
Pages 237-288
Categories no categories
Author(s) Coope, Ursula
Editor(s)
Translator(s)
Humans are accountable  for  what  they do and  believe  in  a  way that other animals are not. T h e  Stoics held that this is because hu­mans are rational, and in particular because they have the capacity for rational  assent.  But how exactly  does the capacity for rational assent explain accountability?  O ur Stoic sources do not explicitly answer this  question, but  I  argue  that  they suggest  the following view.  Humans are  responsible  for  assenting (and  withholding as­
sent) just  because  o f the  way  in  which  the capacity  for  assent  is 
reason-responsive: you can assent (or withhold assent) for reasons, 
and if you know whether or not you should be assenting, you can be guided by this knowledge in either assenting or withholding assent.This  view,  however,  raises  certain  further  questions.  What  is it  about  the  nature  o f our  capacity  for  assent  that  enables  it  to be  reason-responsive  in  a  way  that  other  psychic  capacities  are not? Why  can  one assent  for a  reason,  but not have at* impression of something's being the case  for  a  reason?  I  argue  that  a  basis  for answering  these  questions  can  be  found  in  a  perhaps  surprising source:  ps.-Simplicius'  sixth-century  commentary  on  Aristotle's De  anima.  Ps.-Simplicius  draws  on  the  Neoplatonist  notion  of self-reversion  to  explain  what  is  distinctive  about  the  rational 
capacity for assent.  His account,  I  claim, provides a basis for explaining the distinctively reason-responsive nature of our capacity for assent. [Introduction, p. 287]

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