Recognition of Aristotle’s View of “Heart as a Controller” in the Modern Era

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Mahiyatul Amraz (Pathology), Markaz Unani Medical College and Hospital, Kerala, India

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Mahiyatul Amraz (Pathology), NIUM, Bangalore, India

3 Medical Officer, Lucknow, India

4 PG scholar, Department of Mahiyatul Amraz (Pathology), NIUM, Bangalore, India

Abstract

In the Modern Era, the heart as a controller of the human body is a flourishing topic of medical science. About five decades ago, in the modern medical fraternity, no one was known to the supremacy of the heart over the brain. But in BC, Aristotle placed the heart above all other organs. This study aims to understand Aristotle’s thoughts regarding the importance of the heart in a contemporary rational world. All the relevant literature on Unani medicine has been evaluated, assessed, and analyzed based on classical texts. Several papers on this topic were also retrieved using search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and ScienceDirect. At present, molecular studies are proving Aristotle’s assertions. Some research has confirmed that the heart has its own “brain” and communicates with the cranial brain and the whole body via hormones, electromagnetic fields, pressure waves, and nerve impulses. It is concluded here that Aristotle’s writings on the heart brain connection merit further research in the modern era.

Highlights

Farukh Hasan (Google Scholar) 
Azizur Rahman (Google Scholar) 

Keywords

References

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Journal of Research on History of Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 3
August 2026
Pages 277-284

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