Philosophy of ancient medicine: Galen on homoiomeres

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the teachings of the ancient philosopher and doctor Galen about “homoiomeres.” This term was established by Aristotle to denote the concept of elementary beginning, the smallest element of every quality. The relevance of this topic is primarily due to the fact that by turning to the analysis of Galen’s ideas about homoiomeres and their modern interpretation will help to reveal the unique philosophical context of the formation of medical science in antiquity. The authors turn to the study of the term “homoiomeres” in order to discern how Galen explained the disease processes occurring in the human body, based on the philosophical doctrine of “homoiomeres.” Homoiomeres, from the point of view of Galen, are insubstantial entities that are in the very basis of being. They realize the idea of anything in matter, including in the human body, both in general and in its particulars. On numerous examples from anatomy, Galen shows that homoiomeres is the equality of absolute, identical and abstract ideas in being, realized in the same volatile reality. In other words, homoiomeres and inherent identity are relative not with respect to a changeable reality, but to an ideal being. The substance, divided to infinity, is limited to a certain homogeneous quality as a result; the whole multiplicity of things appears, united by a certain existential accord. Homogeneity characterizes the forces inherent in it, acting in separate parts of the organism, endowing them with strength, movement, and function, which, in turn, are inherent in each particular part, and in the whole organism. At the same time homoiomeres are an internal harmony of the body, which contain homogeneous forces inherent in a certain qualitative state, despite the constant change of particles forming the organism