Francesco Verde

This paper mainly focuses on a passage of Theophrastus’ work On First Principles – generally known as Metaphysics – (8b 10-17), in which the Peripatetic philosopher deals with the relationship between sense-perception (aisthesis) and the faculty of thought (dianoia/nous). Thanks to the close analysis of this text one can argue that according to Theophrastus sense-perception is the irrefutable starting point of the process of knowledge, but, since aisthesis could produce aporia, it cannot be identified with the scientific and firm knowledge (episteme/sophia)...