Aristotelian explorations / G.E.R. Lloyd.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lloyd, G. E. R. (Geoffrey Ernest Richard), 1933-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Aristotle.

Physical Description:

ix, 242 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Summary:

This book challenges several widespread views concerning Aristotle's methods and practices of scientific and philosophical research. Where does the boundary between the animal and the plant kingdoms come? How can supposed cases of spontaneous generation and metamorphosis be explained? What do the processes of reproduction, growth and digestion have in common that allows Aristotle to apply his theory of 'concoction' to each? What contributions to astronomical theory does Aristotle hope to make? Does he claim to apply precisely the same explanatory schema to every mode of sense-perception? How does he use his notion of 'nature' in his politics? Does he have unified concepts of analogy, of metaphor, of demonstration? Professor Lloyd explores generally unrecognised tensions between Aristotle's deeply held a priori convictions and his remarkable empirical honesty in the face of complexities in the data or perceived difficult or exceptional cases. The picture that emerges of Aristotle's actual engagement in scientific research and of his own reflections on that research is substantially more complex than is usually allowed.

Contents:

Introduction: reading Aristotle 1

1 The theories and practices of demonstration 7

2 The relationship of psychology to zoology 38

3 Fuzzy natures? 67

4 The master cook 83

5 Spontaneous generation and metamorphosis 104

6 The varieties of perception 126

7 The unity of analogy 138

8 Heavenly aberrations: Aristotle the amateur astronomer 160

9 The idea of nature in the Politics 184

10 The metaphors of metaphora 205.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-229) and indexes.

ISBN:

0521554225

0521556198

OCLC:

33897432