The Problem of Intellects in Medieval Aristotelianism

The article deals with the problem of the role and significance of the “ladder of intellects” in Medieval Aristotelianism. The purpose of the article is to demonstrate the decisive influence of the problem of intellects on the difference in the interpretation of the heritage of Aristotle in the Middle Ages, when Aristotle was understood as a theologian and the teacher of primary causes, and in the Modern era, when Aristotle was regarded as an empiricist, metaphysician and the founder of several sciences. This purpose defines the objectives of the study undertaken in the article aimed at identifying the specific perception of the teachings of Aristotle by Dante Alighieri, Averroes and Maimonides. The article in a new way highlights the attitude of Dante Alighieri in "The Divine Comedy" to Aristotle and his commentators Averroes and Siger of Brabant, whose teaching was rejected by the Catholic Church after the well-known legal process against the Averroes’ followers. The novelty of the research consists also in revealing the foundations and peculiarities of the Medieval hermeneutics of Aristotelianism in Averroes and Maimonides in the context of understanding the relationship between physics and metaphysics in works by Aristotle. The following results were achieved: it was shown that Dante Alighieri already has the understanding of the existence of two mutually exclusive interpretations of Aristotle’s doctrine; the connection of the doctrine of ten intellects of Averroes and Maimonides with the Aristotelian theory of knowledge and the doctrine of the structure of the universe was demonstrated; a new vision of the Aristotelian concept of truth has been implemented.