Die philosophischen Abhandlungen des al-Kindi

It is even attributed to the "primi sapientes" first sages and specifically to Plato and Aristotle: "sermonem... de intellectu secundum sententiam Platonis et Aristotelis. sed sententia eorum est quod intellectus est secundum quatuor species." 1 Now, it is known that Aristotle 2 introduced the concept of the nous poietikos and Alexander of Aphrodisias 3 that of the nous epiktetos in his writing on the soul; however, neither of them knows four types of intellect. Thus, either the Arabs only cited these names to give more weight to the doctrine they presented through the authority of the two, or they are to be traced back to an unknown, probably interpolated source. Which of these two assumptions is correct, a decisive answer cannot be given at this time. Such an answer will only be possible with a thorough and more precise knowledge of the Alexandrian and Syrian literatures. For my part, I incline toward the second hypothesis, because the influence of Neoplatonic doctrines has already made itself felt—and I would like to say, especially so—in these first products of Arabic speculation. Clear traces of them will also be found in the other three treatises, especially in "de quinque essentiis" on the five essences and almost throughout the entire "liber introductorius" introductory book. Moreover, I remind the reader that one of the most widespread and influential pseudo-Aristotelian writings, namely the so-called "Theologia Aristotelis" Theology of Aristotle, was actually revised and published by Al-Kindi 4.

The treatise is very short, truly a "sermo brevis" brief discourse, and is written in the form of an excerpt.

After Al-Kindi has named and defined the four intellects (p. 1 line 10–p. 2 line 3), he describes in a series of sentences, which are constantly cited as originating from Aristotle, the procedure by which the soul recognizes intellectual forms.

1) p. 1 lines 7—12.
2) Aristotle, De anima, III ch. 5.
3) Compare Zeller, The Philosophy of the Greeks. Vol. III, 1st part. p. 796.
4) Compare Dieterici, The so-called Theology of Aristotle, Leipzig 1882.