亞里斯多德的《靈魂論》於16世紀末，透過耶穌會士佩德羅．戈麥斯在日本的神學院教科書《耶穌會日本學院講義綱要》的介紹，以神學面貌出現。原本在《靈魂論》的理性與意志之定位、區分不明確的問題，在戈麥斯的神學人學式實踐論體系當中，得到了明確的說明。此種神學的靈魂論，因日本禁教關係，只留下和佛教思想論爭的史料，並沒帶來廣泛的實質思想效益。《靈魂論》到了20世紀，則因學院派學者出隆的純哲學之研究與推廣，看似以一種純學術面貌出現，在知識界有廣泛的影響力。然而出隆的希臘哲學、靈魂觀、人學之研究，因當時的政治、歷史、思潮等因素之影響，不得不以一種反映當代思潮的哲學面貌出現。出隆對《靈魂論》的能動理性解釋，便反映出時代要求哲學的實踐論面向。

At the end of the 16th century, Aristotle’s De Anima was introduced to the Japanese readers through the Short compendium, a textbook by Pedro Gómez for a theological seminary in Japan, which primarily appeared as a work of theology. The unclear distinction between reason and will in Aristotle’s original received clarification in Gómez’s discussion on the theological anthropology developed in his practical theory. Because of the prohibition of Christianity in Japan at the time, such theory of the soul from a theological perspective did not result in asserting much influence. Coming to the 20th century, De Anima became widely influential, thanks to the scholarly research and promotion by Ide Takashi who made the book a purely scholarly work. Given the political, historical and philosophical trend and influence at his time, Takashi’s work on Greek philosophy, on the thought on soul, and on anthropology reflect necessarily the philosophy of his time. Likewise, Takashi’s interpretation of the active intellect in De Anima reflects the orientation towards the practical theory which was required by philosophy at his time.