2014/03/03 by Peter T. Struck · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · #Classical Philosophy and Thought #Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies #Medieval and Classical Philosophy
paper · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199589425.013.019
openalex publication_date 2014/03/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
This chapter examines the role of animals in divination in ancient times. It discusses ancient observers’ interpretation of signs coming from instinctive animal behaviour and from the structure of animal body parts. It explains the three main currents of philosophical thought on divination. Plato and Aristotle believed the divinatory insights to be tied with animal instinct and belong to a fringe form of cognition that is specifically connected with humans’ animal natures. On the other hand, the Stoics considered divination as an important piece of their understanding of the cosmos as a whole, and of humans as part of it.