The ancient scholars felt a necessity to localize the soul in a specific organ or anatomic structure. Thus, in Egypt (3rd millennium BC) the soul was seen as composed of five parts, being the most important placed in the heart, the seat and source of thoughts, feelings, and will.2525. Santoro G, Wood MD, Merlo L, Anastasi GP, Tomasello F, Germanò A. The anatomic location of the soul from the heart, through the brain, to the whole body, and beyond: a journey through Western history, science, and philosophy. Neurosurgery. 2009;65(4):633-43;discussion 643. https://doi.org/10.1227/01.NEU.0000349750.22332.6A https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1227/...
Much later, in Greece, philosophers, such as Socrates (5th-4th century BC), Platon (5th-4th century BC), and Aristoteles (4th century BC) discussed the subject. Platon, based on Socrates’ ideas, considered a tripartite soul, differentially located, the logos (reason) in the brain, thymos (spiritedness) in the thorax, and eros (appetitive) in the stomach. Aristoteles regarded the soul linked to the body, and also constituted by three parts, a vegetative, a sensitive, and an intellectual, all related to the heart. Further, Galenus of Pergamon (3rd-2nd century BC) adopted Platon’s idea of a tripartite soul, and located the rational soul in the brain, the spirited in the heart, and the appetitive in the liver.2525. Santoro G, Wood MD, Merlo L, Anastasi GP, Tomasello F, Germanò A. The anatomic location of the soul from the heart, through the brain, to the whole body, and beyond: a journey through Western history, science, and philosophy. Neurosurgery. 2009;65(4):633-43;discussion 643. https://doi.org/10.1227/01.NEU.0000349750.22332.6A https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1227/...
,2626. Hankinson R. Galen's Anatomy of the Soul. Phronesis. 1991;36(2):197-233. https://doi.org/10.1163/156852891321052787 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/...
,2727. Lorenz H. Ancient Theories of Soul. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Zalta: EN ed; 2009 [accessed on Feb 08, 2021]. Available at: Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2009/entries/ancient-soul/ https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2...
The Hellenistic theories of Epicurus and the Stoics that appeared, considered that the soul was corporeal.2727. Lorenz H. Ancient Theories of Soul. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Zalta: EN ed; 2009 [accessed on Feb 08, 2021]. Available at: Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2009/entries/ancient-soul/ https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2...
Nemesius of Emesa (4th century AD), in the beginning of the Middle Ages, founded on Herophilus and Erasistratus, and also on Galenus’ ideas, believed that the soul was designed for unification with the body, and posited his ‘ventricular doctrine’, where the brain ventricles were occupied by the faculties of the soul. This view was held, with some variations, over the entire Middle Ages and the Renaissance.44. Engelhardt E. Cerebral localization of the mind and higher functions. The beginnings. Dement Neuropsychol. 2018;12(3):321-5. https://doi.org/doi: 10.1590/1980-57642018dn12-030014 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/doi: 10....
,2828. Faruque MU. The internal senses in Nemesius, Plotinus and Galen: The beginning of an idea. J Anc Philos. 2016;10(2):119-39. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1981-9471.v10i2p119-139. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.11606...
At this time appeared Descartes with his ‘mind-body dualism’, and believed that the soul has its principal localization in the brain, and specifically the pineal gland.1616. Descartes R. L’homme et un traitté de la formation du foetus: remarques de Louis de La Forge. Paris: Charles Angot; 1664 [accessed on Jan 05, 2021]. Available at: Available at: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k574850 https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5...
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