From the book
Stobaeus, Volume I
John Stobaeus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
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At a Glance
- The wordNoēma can name a thought or what is thought.
- In StobaeusThe Hermetic definition describes soul as an everlasting thinking substance with its own reason as noēma.
- In this edition“Object of thought” clarifies the construction; “thought” retains the broader range where object and content are less sharply distinguished.
- A place to beginSoul’s own reason is described as its object of thought.
- English renderings
- thought; object of thought
Meaning
Noēma can name a thought or what is thought. Its relation to the act of thinking must be established from the sentence rather than assumed from an English equivalent.
Use in the book
The Hermetic definition describes soul as an everlasting thinking substance with its own reason as noēma. The clause presents a reflexive relation between soul’s thought and its logos. Its compression also permits emphasis on reason as constituting the thought, so the English should not force an elaborate theory of mental objects on this line alone.
Places to read
- I.49.1cSoul’s own reason is described as its object of thought.
Translation in this edition
“Object of thought” clarifies the construction; “thought” retains the broader range where object and content are less sharply distinguished.
Source note
Wachsmuth, volume I, printed pp. 320. The definition recurs in the anthology with a different word order; the edition retains both occurrences.