Aristotle

The influence of Aristotle, the prince of philosophers, on the intellectual history of the West is second to none. In this book Jonathan Barnes examines Aristotle's scientific researches, his discoveries in logic and his metaphysical theories, his work in psychology and in ethics and politics, and his ideas about art and poetry, placing his teachings in their historical context. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The influence of Aristotle, the prince of philosophers, on the intellectual history of the West is second to none. In this book Jonathan Barnes examines Aristotle's scientific researches, his discoveries in logic and his metaphysical theories, his work in psychology and in ethics and politics, and his ideas about art and poetry, placing his teachings in their historical context. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

'John Sellars excels at writing short books for a general audience on ancient philosophy. . . A great way into one of the greatest philosophers of all time' Nigel Warburton, Five Books Why has Aristotle had such an astounding influence on the world? What are his key ideas? What can he still teach us today? The Lyceum in Athens, now a ruin, has a claim to be the most significant place in human history. It is the site of Aristotle's school. Here the philosopher taught and discussed the answers to the deepest mysteries of the human condition, and changed the way we think. Today, it can be difficult to fully comprehend the staggering influence of Aristotle's lessons. Yet his observations about the world around him and his reflections on the nature of knowledge laid the foundations for all empirical science. His study of rational thought formed the basis of formal logic, the cornerstone of philosophical investigation. His examination of Greek city-states gave us political science, while his analysis of drama remains a mainstay of literature courses around the world. Acclaimed philosopher John Sellars takes us on a journey through Aristotle's thought, vividly bringing to life his key ideas, and demonstrating that the famous philosopher's capacity for curiosity continues to offer us all a vision of more fulfilled lives. The lessons of Aristotle, he shows, still have much to teach us today.

'John Sellars excels at writing short books for a general audience on ancient philosophy. . . A great way into one of the greatest philosophers of all time' Nigel Warburton, Five Books Why has Aristotle had such an astounding influence on the world? What are his key ideas? What can he still teach us today? The Lyceum in Athens, now a ruin, has a claim to be the most significant place in human history. It is the site of Aristotle's school. Here the philosopher taught and discussed the answers to the deepest mysteries of the human condition, and changed the way we think. Today, it can be difficult to fully comprehend the staggering influence of Aristotle's lessons. Yet his observations about the world around him and his reflections on the nature of knowledge laid the foundations for all empirical science. His study of rational thought formed the basis of formal logic, the cornerstone of philosophical investigation. His examination of Greek city-states gave us political science, while his analysis of drama remains a mainstay of literature courses around the world. Acclaimed philosopher John Sellars takes us on a journey through Aristotle's thought, vividly bringing to life his key ideas, and demonstrating that the famous philosopher's capacity for curiosity continues to offer us all a vision of more fulfilled lives. The lessons of Aristotle, he shows, still have much to teach us today.

In "Aristotle: The Complete Works", the timeless relevance of Aristotle's ideas becomes clear. His relentless pursuit of knowledge, his keen observations, and his commitment to understanding the intricacies of the human condition continue to shape our understanding of the world. Whether you're a scholar, a student, or a curious mind, this collection is an essential addition to your library, inviting you to engage with the enduring wisdom of one of history's intellectual giants. From his groundbreaking treatises on ethics, politics, and metaphysics to his reflections on the natural world, Aristotle's works span the spectrum of human knowledge. This monumental collection brings together the entirety of Aristotle's writings, offering an unparalleled opportunity to explore the mind of the philosopher who laid the foundations of Western thought.

In "Aristotle: The Complete Works", the timeless relevance of Aristotle's ideas becomes clear. His relentless pursuit of knowledge, his keen observations, and his commitment to understanding the intricacies of the human condition continue to shape our understanding of the world. Whether you're a scholar, a student, or a curious mind, this collection is an essential addition to your library, inviting you to engage with the enduring wisdom of one of history's intellectual giants. From his groundbreaking treatises on ethics, politics, and metaphysics to his reflections on the natural world, Aristotle's works span the spectrum of human knowledge. This monumental collection brings together the entirety of Aristotle's writings, offering an unparalleled opportunity to explore the mind of the philosopher who laid the foundations of Western thought.

Metaphysics is one of the principal works of Aristotle and the first major work of the branch of philosophy with the same name. The principal subject is "being qua being," or being insofar as it is being. It examines what can be asserted about any being insofar as it is and not because of any special qualities it has. Also covered are different kinds of causation, form and matter, the existence of mathematical objects, and a prime-mover God.

Metaphysics is one of the principal works of Aristotle and the first major work of the branch of philosophy with the same name. The principal subject is "being qua being," or being insofar as it is being. It examines what can be asserted about any being insofar as it is and not because of any special qualities it has. Also covered are different kinds of causation, form and matter, the existence of mathematical objects, and a prime-mover God.

From the artist behind the critically acclaimed, award-winning, New York Times #1 bestselling graphic novel Logicomix comes a graphic novel about the life and legacy of Aristotle, the polymath who became one of the founding figures of modern thought Little is known about the early life of Aristotle, who stands as a cultural cornerstone of modern thought and scholarship. Alecos Papadatos, the artist behind the critically acclaimed, award-winning, bestselling graphic novel Logicomix , and Tassos Apostolidis, an author and teacher, team up to bring his story to life, following the trail of clues to paint a picture of the great man and his philosophy. The son of a renowned Macedonian physician, Aristotle pursues his studies in Athens and becomes one of Plato’s favorite disciples. A great scholar, he even serves as Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, and Cassander’s personal tutor. For many, that would be the high point of their career, but Aristotle goes on to found his own school, the Lyceum. There, he transmits his knowledge and passion to any student wishing to embark on an intellectual and philosophical journey. Most of his works that have endured to this day are from this crucial time, thought to be lecture aids for his students. The fact that these were not likely intended for publication and yet have had such an astounding influence on every school of Western thought speaks to the monumental legacy that Papadatos and Apostolidis carefully reconstruct in this compelling and informative graphic novel.

From the artist behind the critically acclaimed, award-winning, New York Times #1 bestselling graphic novel Logicomix comes a graphic novel about the life and legacy of Aristotle, the polymath who became one of the founding figures of modern thought Little is known about the early life of Aristotle, who stands as a cultural cornerstone of modern thought and scholarship. Alecos Papadatos, the artist behind the critically acclaimed, award-winning, bestselling graphic novel Logicomix , and Tassos Apostolidis, an author and teacher, team up to bring his story to life, following the trail of clues to paint a picture of the great man and his philosophy. The son of a renowned Macedonian physician, Aristotle pursues his studies in Athens and becomes one of Plato’s favorite disciples. A great scholar, he even serves as Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, and Cassander’s personal tutor. For many, that would be the high point of their career, but Aristotle goes on to found his own school, the Lyceum. There, he transmits his knowledge and passion to any student wishing to embark on an intellectual and philosophical journey. Most of his works that have endured to this day are from this crucial time, thought to be lecture aids for his students. The fact that these were not likely intended for publication and yet have had such an astounding influence on every school of Western thought speaks to the monumental legacy that Papadatos and Apostolidis carefully reconstruct in this compelling and informative graphic novel.

The definitive account of Aristotle's life and school This definitive biography shows that Aristotle's philosophy is best understood on the basis of a firm knowledge of his life and of the school he founded. First published in Italian, and now translated, updated, and expanded for English readers, this concise chronological narrative is the most authoritative account of Aristotle's life and his Lyceum available in any language. Gathering, distilling, and analyzing all the evidence and previous scholarship, Carlo Natali, one of the world's leading Aristotle scholars, provides a masterful synthesis that is accessible to students yet filled with evidence and original interpretations that specialists will find informative and provocative. Cutting through the controversy and confusion that have surrounded Aristotle's biography, Natali tells the story of Aristotle's eventful life and sheds new light on his role in the foundation of the Lyceum. Natali offers the most detailed and persuasive argument yet for the view that the school, an important institution of higher learning and scientific research, was designed to foster a new intellectual way of life among Aristotle's followers, helping them fulfill an aristocratic ideal of the best way to use the leisure they enjoyed. Drawing a wealth of connections between Aristotle's life and thinking, Natali demonstrates how the two are mutually illuminating. For this edition, ancient texts have been freshly translated on the basis of the most recent critical editions; indexes have been added, including a comprehensive index of sources and an index to previous scholarship; and scholarship that has appeared since the book's original publication has been incorporated.

The definitive account of Aristotle's life and school This definitive biography shows that Aristotle's philosophy is best understood on the basis of a firm knowledge of his life and of the school he founded. First published in Italian, and now translated, updated, and expanded for English readers, this concise chronological narrative is the most authoritative account of Aristotle's life and his Lyceum available in any language. Gathering, distilling, and analyzing all the evidence and previous scholarship, Carlo Natali, one of the world's leading Aristotle scholars, provides a masterful synthesis that is accessible to students yet filled with evidence and original interpretations that specialists will find informative and provocative. Cutting through the controversy and confusion that have surrounded Aristotle's biography, Natali tells the story of Aristotle's eventful life and sheds new light on his role in the foundation of the Lyceum. Natali offers the most detailed and persuasive argument yet for the view that the school, an important institution of higher learning and scientific research, was designed to foster a new intellectual way of life among Aristotle's followers, helping them fulfill an aristocratic ideal of the best way to use the leisure they enjoyed. Drawing a wealth of connections between Aristotle's life and thinking, Natali demonstrates how the two are mutually illuminating. For this edition, ancient texts have been freshly translated on the basis of the most recent critical editions; indexes have been added, including a comprehensive index of sources and an index to previous scholarship; and scholarship that has appeared since the book's original publication has been incorporated.

This is a 1988 philosophical introduction to Aristotle, and Professor Lear starts where Aristotle himself starts. The first sentence of the Metaphysics states that all human beings by their nature desire to know. But what is it for us to be animated by this desire in this world? What is it for a creature to have a nature; what is our human nature; what must the world be like to be intelligible; and what must we be like to understand it systematically? Through a consideration of these questions Professor Lear introduces us to the essence of Aristotle's philosophy and guides us through the central Aristotelian texts - selected from the Physics, Metaphysics, Ethics, Politics and from the biological and logical works. The book is written in a direct, lucid style which engages the reader with the themes in an active, participatory manner.

In this extensively revised new edition of his excellent guidebook, Christopher Shields introduces the whole of Aristotle’s philosophy, showing how his powerful conception of human nature shaped much of his thinking on the nature of the soul and the mind, ethics, politics, and the arts. Beginning with a brief biography, Shields carefully explains the fundamental elements of Aristotle’s thought: his explanatory framework, his philosophical methodology, and his four-causal explanatory scheme. Subsequently he discusses Aristotle’s metaphysics, the theory of categories, logical theory, and his conception of the human being as a composite of soul and body. The last part concentrates on Aristotle’s value theory as applied to ethics and politics, and assesses his approach to happiness, virtue, and the best life for human beings, before turning to a consideration of Aristotle's theory of rhetoric and the arts, with a special focus on his perennially controversial treatment of tragedy. This second edition includes an expanded discussion of Aristotle's method, and new sections on key issues in perception, thought, akrasia , and mimesis . It concludes with an expanded assessment of Aristotle's legacy, sketching currently emerging Neo-Aristotelian movements in metaphysics and virtue ethics.

In this extensively revised new edition of his excellent guidebook, Christopher Shields introduces the whole of Aristotle’s philosophy, showing how his powerful conception of human nature shaped much of his thinking on the nature of the soul and the mind, ethics, politics, and the arts. Beginning with a brief biography, Shields carefully explains the fundamental elements of Aristotle’s thought: his explanatory framework, his philosophical methodology, and his four-causal explanatory scheme. Subsequently he discusses Aristotle’s metaphysics, the theory of categories, logical theory, and his conception of the human being as a composite of soul and body. The last part concentrates on Aristotle’s value theory as applied to ethics and politics, and assesses his approach to happiness, virtue, and the best life for human beings, before turning to a consideration of Aristotle's theory of rhetoric and the arts, with a special focus on his perennially controversial treatment of tragedy. This second edition includes an expanded discussion of Aristotle's method, and new sections on key issues in perception, thought, akrasia , and mimesis . It concludes with an expanded assessment of Aristotle's legacy, sketching currently emerging Neo-Aristotelian movements in metaphysics and virtue ethics.

This is a 1988 philosophical introduction to Aristotle, and Professor Lear starts where Aristotle himself starts. The first sentence of the Metaphysics states that all human beings by their nature desire to know. But what is it for us to be animated by this desire in this world? What is it for a creature to have a nature; what is our human nature; what must the world be like to be intelligible; and what must we be like to understand it systematically? Through a consideration of these questions Professor Lear introduces us to the essence of Aristotle's philosophy and guides us through the central Aristotelian texts - selected from the Physics, Metaphysics, Ethics, Politics and from the biological and logical works. The book is written in a direct, lucid style which engages the reader with the themes in an active, participatory manner.