Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
Barrie Fleet is Preceptor and Director of Studies in Classics at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, UK.Book 2 of the Physics is arguably the best introduction to Aristotle's ideas, as well as being the most interesting and representative book in the whole of his corpus. It defines nature and distinguishes natural science from mathematics. It introduces the seminal idea of four causes, or four modes of explanation. It defines chance, but rejects a theory of chance and natural selection in favour of purpose in nature.
Simplicius, writing in the sixth century AD, adds his own considerable contribution to this work. Seeing Aristotle's God as a Creator, he discusses how nature relates to soul, adds Stoic and Neoplatonist causes to Aristotle's list of four, and questions the likeness of cause to effect. He discusses missing a great evil or a great good by a hairsbreadth and considers whether animals act from reason or natural instinct. He also preserves a Posidonian discussion of mathematical astronomy.
Introduction
Textual Emendations
Translation
Notes
Bibliography
Appendix: The Commentators
English-Greek Glossary
Greek-English Index
Index of Works Cited in the Notes
Subject Index
The Ancient Commentators on Aristotle series is a prestigious scholarly project, which translates into English the principal works of the Neoplatonist commentators on Aristotle. The translation in each volume is accompanied by an introduction, comprehensive commentary notes, bibliography, glossary of translated terms and a subject index.
Praise for the series:
"A truly breathtaking achievement, with few parallels in the history of scholarly endeavour"
Times Literary Supplement
"Well-known and renowned"
Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"One of the great scholarly achievements of our time"
British Journal for the History of Philosophy
"Without any doubt, it is this enterprise of R. Sorabji which has had the greatest impact among historians of ancient philosophy."
Ilsetraut Hadot in Le Néoplatonicien Simplicius à la lumière des recherches contemporaines