A Medieval Biology Lesson, Purgatory 25

Why is there a biology/ embryology lesson included here?
     1)    encyclopedic aspect of Divine Comedy, and also of
            medieval scholastic thought:  everything gets covered.

     2)   actual topic is about the union of body and soul:
             how and when is newly formed human body provided with a soul?
             followed by discussion of soul leaving tbody at death (Purg 25, 80)

Dante’s Sources:  Ideas about physical world and the soul:

Classical :  Aristotle on biology, metaphysics, body & soul

Platonism: soul as divine, “falls into the material world,”
                   goal of life is ascent of the soul, return to spiritual realm
                   spirit is higher and better than material reality

Galen: 2cd C. Greek medical compendium, includes humors
                       women: cold & wet (lots of fluids, more physical) 
                       men: hot & dry (more intellectual)

Augustine 5^th C.:  sex as symbol and result of original sin
                                    only permissible for purpose of reproduction
                   problem with sex: subjection of reason to body appetite;
                            reason should be in control, correct order is inverted
                   Garden of Eden: before the fall, sex occurred through rational
                                           decision, not through physical desire

12-13^th   C. intellectual context:

     Cathar heresy: medieval dualist, good versus evil
                      matter is created by evil god; only spiritual world is good

      Scholastic theology:
                      needs to confirm goodness of creation, despite ascetic
                      clerical mistrust of sex, all God’s creation is good

       Albert the Great, 13^th C naturalistic view of sex and human reproduction
                   sex as natural act, not changed after original sin.
                   sexual arousal and desire were the same in Eden (unlike Augustine)

      Thomas Aquinas (student of Albert the Great)
                   rejects Albert’s view, returns to more Augustinian approach
                   sexual desire and pleasure are the result of sin
                    lust = disorder, undermines reason, not corrected by Baptism
                               so powerful very few people ever control
                    women: function is procreation, weaker than men, less intelligent

Embryology lesson given by Statius:

   Aristotelian categories:         active            vs           passive
                                                   form                           matter
                                                   soul                            body
                                                   male                           female

   Traditional view:         “Male is to female as spirit is to matter.”
           Male sperm contains complete human form of new baby, the homunculus.|
           Woman provides the “stuff” or matter that is organized by this active
                      principle, and the place for fetal development to occur.

How does conception occur?

        Blood: not all used by body, collects in the heart, where it acquires power,
                     then flows to “that other place better left unmentioned,” 

        Fertilization: semen (male “perfect blood”) then drips “over another’s
                     in its natural vase”  (= female vagina), where the “two bloods”
                     commingle; the active force (male) causes  clotting (like cheese),
                     and “quicken,” beginning to take shape.

        Result:  a fetus, but not yet human: stages of embryo’s development
                    1)  vegetative soul:  like a plant:
                          “Some sea thing or jelly fish, half beast, half  weed.”
                    2) sensitive (animal soul) gradually develops into full body
                    3) how does this “animal thing” become human? only when brain
                         is formed, does God breath in a “new & powerful spirit.”
                         This is called “ensoulment,” soul introduced into formed body.