BETWEEN THE HEART AND THE BRAIN: REVISITING ARISTOTLE, HIPPOCRATES, AND MODERN NEUROSCIENCE

Abstract

This article sought to examine how Aristotelian thought influenced science and philosophy for more than two millennia. Among his ideas, the conception that the heart, rather than the brain, was the center of human emotions stands out. This article revisits that conception, contrasting it with contemporary findings in neuroscience and with modern discussions in the philosophy of mind, such as the mind–body problem and critiques of Cartesian dualism. It is argued that, although incorrect from an anatomical and physiological perspective, Aristotle’s cardiocentric view reflects an early effort to integrate bodily and affective experience with rational knowledge. Accordingly, a critical and contextualized reading of cardiocentric theory is proposed, also exploring the symbolic imagery that still persists in everyday language.