Paul D. Hellmeier OP: Why Albert the Great is not a Dualist on Human Nature

Many influential scholars hold that Albert the Great is a dualist regarding human nature. This widespread and rarely questioned opinion is put to the test here. The evaluation of the sources and the exact analysis of the main arguments lead to the conclusion that Albert is not a dualist in the conventional sense of a dualism of two different substances. Firstly, the second part of the Summa theologiae, which contains strong dualistic statements, cannot pos­sibly be an authentic work of Albert, and secondly, many arguments which seem to support a dualism in Albert’s work are based on misunderstandings, a lack of consideration of the de­velopment of Albert’s thought, or a lack of knowledge of the biological writings of Aristotle. Further apparent evidence of dualism in Albert’s work proves untenable after detailed analy­sis of his understanding of form. For although this concept of form has strong Neoplatonic traits, it is made fruitful for the hylemorphic interpretation of the relationship between body and soul. The article concludes with a brief critical review of the application of the modern terms “dualism” and “Platonism” to the anthropological models of medieval thinkers.

Keywords: Albert the Great – Anthropology – Dualism – Aristotelianism