Aristotle and the Science of Nature
Unity without Uniformity

Exploration of Aristotle's philosophy of nature in the light of scholarly insights.

Andrea Falcon (Author)

9780521854399, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 September 2005

160 pages
23.6 x 16 x 2.1 cm, 0.405 kg

'The book is tightly argued and situates Aristotle's arguments in the historical tradition of commentary upon his work in a clear and highly sophisticated fashion. … It should be of great interest to advanced undergraduates and others who are interested in a highly engaging and important account of Aristotle's understanding of the science of nature. … F. has offered up an extremely compelling set of tightly linked arguments showing that Aristotle's position on the discontinuity between the sublunary and celestial worlds has wide ranging implications for the integration of sciences such as biology and meteorology and for how Aristotle understands the "system " of nature as a whole. …This book will be of interest to those wishing to gain a greater understanding of how Aristotle's philosophy of science is situated historically - as I have stated the historical context provided with respect to doxographers and ancient commentators is outstanding … the footnotes are extensive and filled with references to a good deal of recent work related to Aristotle's conception of science. Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Andrea Falcon's work is guided by the exegetical ideal of recreating the mind of Aristotle and his distinctive conception of the theoretical enterprise. In this concise exploration of the significance of the celestial world for Aristotle's science of nature, Falcon investigates the source of discontinuity between celestial and sublunary natures and argues that the conviction that the natural world exhibits unity without uniformity is the ultimate reason for Aristotle's claim that the heavens are made of a special body, unique to them. This book presents Aristotle as a totally engaged, systematic investigator whose ultimate concern was to integrate his distinct investigations into a coherent interpretation of the world we live in, all the while mindful of human limitations to what can be known. Falcon reads in Aristotle the ambition of an extraordinarily curious mind and the confidence that that ambition has been largely fulfilled.

Preface
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations and conventions
1. The unity, structure and boundaries of Aristotle's science of nature
2. Bodies
3. Motions
4. The limits of Aristotle's science of nature
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index of names
Index of passages
General index.

Subject Areas: Western philosophy: Ancient, to c 500 [HPCA]