1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910792277303321

Autore

Philoponus John <active 6th century, >

Titolo

On Aristotle Physics 4.1-5 / Philoponus ; translated by Keimpe Algra and Johannes van Ophuijsen

Pubbl/distr/stampa

London, : Bristol Classical Press, 2012

ISBN

1-4725-5199-0

1-4725-0177-2

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (159 p.)

Collana

Ancient commentators on Aristotle

Disciplina

114

Soggetti

Physics - Philosophy

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

"Paperback edition first published 2014"--T. p. verso.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index

Nota di contenuto

Introduction -- Textual Emendations -- Translation -- Notes -- Bibliography -- English-Greek Glossary -- Greek-English Index -- Index of Passages Cited -- General Index

Sommario/riassunto

"Aristotle's account of place, in which he defined a thing's place as the inner surface of its nearest immobile container, was supported by the Latin Middle Ages, even 1600 years after his death, though it had not convinced many ancient Greek philosophers. The sixth century commentator Philoponus took a more commonsense view. For him, place was an immobile three-dimensional extension, whose essence did not preclude its being empty, even if for other reasons it had always to be filled with body. However, Philoponus reserved his own definition for an excursus, already translated in this series, The Corollary on Place. In the text translated here he wanted instead to explain Aristotle's view to elementary students. The recent conjecture that he wished to attract young fellow-Christians away from the official pagan professor of philosophy in Alexandria has the merit of explaining why he expounds Aristotle here, rather than attacking him. But he still puts the students through their paces, for example when discussing Aristotle's claim that place cannot be a body, or two bodies would coincide."--Bloomsbury Publishing

Aristotle's account of place, in which he defined a thing's place as the inner surface of its nearest immobile container, was supported by the Latin Middle Ages, even 1600 years after his death, though it had not



convinced many ancient Greek philosophers. The sixth century commentator Philoponus took a more common-sense view. For him, place was an immobile three-dimensional extension, whose essence did not preclude its being empty, even if for other reasons it had always to be filled with body. However, Philoponus reserved his own definition for an excursus, already translated in this series, The Corollary on Place. In the text translated here he wanted instead to explain Aristotle's view to elementary students. The recent conjecture that he wished to attract young fellow Christians away from the official pagan professor of philosophy in Alexandria has the merit of explaining why he expounds Aristotle here, rather than attacking him. But he still puts the students through their paces, for example when discussing Aristotle's claim that place cannot be a body, or two bodies would coincide. This volume contains an English translation of Philoponus' commentary, as well as a detailed introduction, extensive explanatory notes and a bibliography.