Aristotle's Physics Book 3 covers two subjects: the definition of change and the finitude of the universe. Change enters into the very definition of nature as an internal source of change. Change receives two definitions in chapters 1 and 2, as involving the actualisation of the potential or of the changeable. Alexander of Aphrodisias is reported as thinking that the second version is designed to show that Book 3, like Book 5, means to disqualify change in relations from being genuine change. Aristotle's successor Theophrastus, we are told, and Simplicius himself, prefer to admit relational change. Chapter 3 introduces a general causal principle that the activity of the agent causing change is in the patient undergoing change, and that the causing and undergoing are to be counted as only one activity, however different in definition. Simplicius points out that this paves the way for Aristotle's God who moves the heavens, while admitting no motion in himself. It is also the basis of Aristotle's doctrine, central to Neoplatonism, that intellect is one with the objects it contemplates.In defending Aristotle's claim that the universe is spatially finite, Simplicius has to meet Archytas' question, "What happens at the edge?". He replies that, given Aristotle's definition of place, there is nothing, rather than an empty place, beyond the furthest stars, and one cannot stretch one's hand into nothing, nor be prevented by nothing. But why is Aristotle's beginningless universe not temporally infinite? Simplicius answers that the past years no longer exist, so one never has an infinite collection.
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Aristotle's "Physics Book 3" covers two subjects: the definition of change and the finitude of the universe. This text provides a translation of Simplicius' commentry on Aristotle's work, with notes by Peter Lautner.
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Preface
Introduction
Textual Emendations
TRANSLATION
Notes
Bibliography English-Greek
Glossary Greek-English Index
Index of Passages Cited
Subject
Index

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Aristotle's Physics Book 3 covers two subjects: the definition of change and the finitude of the universe. This text provides a translation of Simplicius' commentry on Aristotle's work, with notes by Peter Lautner.
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The latest volume in a prestigious scholarly series, now in over 90 volumes

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.

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"A truly breathtaking achievement, with few parallels in the history of scholarly endeavour"
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"One of the great scholarly achievements of our time"
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"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

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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781472557353
Publisert
2014-04-10
Utgiver
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; Bloomsbury Academic
Vekt
299 gr
Høyde
234 mm
Bredde
156 mm
Aldersnivå
U, P, 05, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
240

Oversetter

Om bidragsyterne

J. O. Urmson is Emeritus Professor at Stanford University and Emeritus Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Peter Lautner is a fellow of the Research Group for Classical Studies at the Hungarian Academy of Science.