On Aristotle On the heavens 3.7-4.6 Simplicius ; translated by Ian Mueller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Simplicius, of Cilicia, author.

Contributor:

Mueller, Ian, editor.

Series:

Ancient commentators on Aristotle

Standardized Title:

Aristotelis De caelo commentaria. 3.7-4.6. English

Language:

English

Greek, Ancient (to 1453)

Subjects (All):

Aristotle. De caelo.

Aristotle.

Cosmology, Ancient.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 216 pages).

Place of Publication:

London Duckworth 2009.

Summary:

"Commenting on the end of Aristotle On the Heavens Book 3, Simplicius examines Aristotle's criticisms of Plato's theory of elemental chemistry in the Timaeus. Plato makes the characteristics of the four elements depend on the shapes of component corpuscles and ultimately on the arrangement of the triangles which compose them. Simplicius preserves and criticizes the contributions made to the debate in lost works by two other major commentators, Alexander the Aristotelian, and Proclus the Platonist. In Book 4, Simplicius identifies fifteen objections by Aristotle to Plato's views on weight in the four elements. He finishes Book 4 by elaborating Aristotle's criticisms of Democritus' theory of weight in the atoms, including Democritus' suggestions about the influence of atomic shape on certain atomic motions. This volume includes an English translation of Simplicius' commentary, a detailed introduction, extensive commentary notes and a bibliography."--Bloomsbury Publishing

Contents:

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Introduction

Translation

3.7 305b28-end. Criticism of Plato's geometrical chemistry

3.8 Criticism of Plato's geometrical chemistry continued

4.1 Absolute and relative heaviness and lightness; criticism of Plato's claim that there is no above and below in the universe

4.2 Criticism of previous accounts of heaviness and lightness

4.3 Heaviness and lightness; natural motion as the attaining of form

4.4 The existence of places between above and below and of

elements, water and air, to occupy them

4.5 The four elements differ in their matter

4.6 The effect of shape and size on the motion of bodies

Appendix 1. On the geometric arguments of 652,9-655,27

Appendix 2. On some later discussions of 306b5-8

Textual Questions

(a) Departures from Heiberg's text

(b) Simplicius' citations of On the Heaven 3.1-7, 305b28

(c) Simplicius' citations of other texts

(d) Lemmas

Notes

Bibliography

English-Greek Glossary

Greek-English Index

Index of Passages

Index of Names

Subject Index

Addenda

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Electronic reproduction. London : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014. Available via World Wide Web. Access limited by licensing agreement

ISBN:

9781472552280

OCLC:

878078356