Concept in Definition ABC

For the Greeks who started the tradition Western philosophical the word dianoia was synonymous with thought or intellect. However, it is not just any thought but a particular way of reasoning, the reasoning discursive.

Dianoia and noesis

The Greek philosophers, especially Plato, based their proposals on rationality. Despite this, they understood that there is no single way to understand the reason. Thus, when we think in an argumentative way we are facing dianoetic reason, which is opposed to noetic reason. Thus, dianoia and noesis are two statements of reason. In the first case, it is a discursive intellectual process and in the second, intellectual insights. For example, in a dissertation moral We would be on the plane of dianoia, while universal or intelligible ideas are based on noesis.

Dianoia in Plato and Aristotle

According to Plato, dianoia has a lower rank than noesis. He also affirms that dianoia supposes an intermediate level between opinion or doxa and

intelligence. If we say that we like something, we are faced with a personal opinion based on our inclination for something. On the other hand, to defend a thesis in favor of a proposal we need to elaborate ideas with arguments, a more complex approach and that would be the dianoia itself. In its highest degree, reason is noetic, since it reaches the knowledge of universal ideas.

Plato's approach to dianoia influenced his disciple Aristotle, who also reflected on human reason. According to Aristotle, there is a hierarchy in thought and at the top is what he calls supreme intelligence or prime mover and in lower levels there are other modes of reasoning: scientific, opinion and discursive reasoning or dianoia.

The reason for the Greek philosophers

The idea of ​​dianoia in Plato and Aristotle serves to remind us that the Greek philosophers understood that human reason is the tool to achieve true knowledge. Thus, if we want to argue with criteria, think Logically or argue with foundation it is necessary that we base our ideas on rationality and not on mythical thinking, superstitions or personal opinions.

This commitment to reason as the authentic path to truth is the great contribution of the philosophy Greek. For the Greek philosophers to think rationally was a necessary question, because otherwise the human being is condemned to ignorance, to the injustice and to barbarism.

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Themes in Dianoia