Aristotle on melancholy 165
Aristotle frequently uses the wordeuphuia. An illuminating example of
this notion is Aristotle’s frequent reference to metaphors; see the remark
in thePoetics( 1459 a 5 – 7 ), ‘The most important thing is the ability to use
metaphors. For this is the only thing that cannot be learned from someone
else and a sign of natural genius; for to produce good metaphors is a matter
of perceiving similarities’K R .
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feature of metaphor (its being incapable of being taught) can be found
inRhetoric( 1405 a 8 ) andPoet. 1455 a 29 ff., which states that the best
poet is either a genius (euphues ̄) or a madman (manikos;cf.Pr. 954 a 32 ).
Aristotle explains his use of the wordeuphuiain this passage in thePoetics
( 1459 a 7 ) by saying that good use of metaphor is based on the ability ‘to see
similarities’ (to homoion theorein ̄ ). This corresponds to the fact that Aristotle
(as discussed above in section 2 adDiv. 464 a 32 ff.) relates theeustochiaof
melancholics to this very principle: therefore this passage, too, shows the
connection between the ability to perceive similarities and a special natural
predisposition.
It seems to be this connection that enables the melancholicperittonin
the areas of philosophy, politics and poetry. For to Aristotle, the principle
of ‘perceiving similarities’ not only plays a part in the use of metaphor^85
and in divination in sleep, but also in several intellectual activities such as
induction, definition and indeed philosophy itself.^86 It recognises relevant
similarities (both similar properties and similar relations and structures)
that are not evident or noticeable to everyone, and as such it is able to
see relationships between matters that are far apart.^87 The explicit connec-
tion of this principle with a targeted approach led by intuition (eustochia,
Rh. 1412 a 12 ) and a special predisposition (euphuia,Poet. 1459 a 7 ) indi-
cates that theperittonof melancholics in the areas mentioned should be
sought in a certain intuition and creativity which does not impede rea-
son, but rather enhances it, withphantasiaplaying an important mediatory
role.^88
At first it seemed peculiar that the great philosophers Plato, Socrates
and Empedocles are taken as examples of the ‘extraordinary melancholics’
(^85) See Bremer ( 1980 ) 350 – 76 ; Swiggers ( 1984 ) 40 – 5.
(^86) Cf.Rh. 1394 a 5 ; 1412 a 10 (with the use of the wordeustochia);Top. 108 a 7 – 14 ; 108 b 7 , 24 ;Metaph.
981 a 7. On the principle see Lambert ( 1966 ) 169 – 85.
(^87) Rh. 1412 a 12 :3
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(^88) See Tracy ( 1969 ),passim(in particular 261 – 4 ).