On Aristotle Physics 4 Themistius ; translated by Robert B. Todd.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Themistius, author.

Contributor:

Todd, Robert B., editor.

Series:

Ancient commentators on Aristotle

Standardized Title:

On Aristotle's Physics 4. English

Language:

English

Greek, Ancient (to 1453)

Subjects (All):

Aristotle. Physics--Book 4.

Aristotle.

Space and time--Early works to 1800.

Space and time.

Physics--Early works to 1800.

Physics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 150 pages).

Place of Publication:

Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell University Press 2003.

Summary:

"Physics Book 4 is one of Aristotle's most interesting works, discussing place, time and vacuum. Themistius was a fourth-century AD orator and essayist, not only a philosopher, and he thought that only paraphrases of Aristotle were needed, because there were already such comprehensive commentaries. Nonetheless, his paraphrastic commentaries are full of innovative comment. According to Aristotle, there is no such thing as 3-dimensional space. A thing's exactly-fitting place is a surface, the inner surface of its immediate surroundings. One problem that this created was that the outermost stars, on Aristotle's view, have no surroundings, and so no place. Themistius suggests that we might think instead of the neighbouring bodies which they surround as providing their place. Aristotle time as something countable, and concluded that it depends for its existence on that of conscious beings to do the counting. Themistius is in the minority among commentators in disagreeing. Themistius concurs with Aristotle in denying the existence of vacuum. We cannot think that a space formerly empty of body penetrates right through a body inserted into it. If one extension could penetrate another, says Themistius, a body could penetrate a body, because bodies occupy places solely in virtue of being extended."--Bloomsbury Publishing

Contents:

Preface

Introduction

Textual Emendations

TRANSLATION

Notes

Bibliography English-Greek

Glossary Greek-English Index

Index of Passages Cited

Subject

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [75]-126) and index

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

Other Format:

Original

ISBN:

9781472552464

OCLC:

1119399612