Aristotle's Anthropology

The first collection of essays on Aristotle's philosophy of human nature, covering the metaphysical, biological and ethical works.

Geert Keil (Edited by), Nora Kreft (Edited by)

9781316642627, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 21 January 2021

305 pages
23 x 15.3 x 1.5 cm, 0.5 kg

'Innovative in nature and wide in range, the volume will be highly relevant to readers studying Aristotle, as well as to every who works on any ancient or contemporary philosophical anthropology.' Dialogo Filosofico

This is the first collection of essays devoted specifically to the nature and significance of Aristotle's anthropological philosophy, covering the full range of his ethical, metaphysical and biological works. The book is organised into four parts, two of which deal with the metaphysics and biology of human nature and two of which discuss the anthropological foundations and implications of Aristotle's ethico-political works. The essay topics range from human nature and morality to friendship and politics, including original discussion and fresh perspectives on rationalism, the intellect, perception, virtue, the faculty of speech and the differences and similarities between human and non-human animals. Wide-ranging and innovative, the volume will be highly relevant for readers studying Aristotle as well as for anyone working on either ancient or contemporary philosophical anthropology.

Introduction: Aristotle's anthropology Geert Keil and Nora Kreft
Part I. Human Beings as Rational Animals: 1. Aristotle on the definition of what it is to be human Christian Kietzmann
2. Speech and the rational soul Ian C. McCready-Flora
3. Aristotle's peculiarly human psychology Elena Cagnoli Fiecconi
4. The planetary nature of mankind: a cosmological perspective on Aristotle's anthropology Christof Rapp
Part II. Human Nature in the Light of Aristotle's Biology: 5. Is reason natural? Aristotle's zoology of rational animals James G. Lennox
6. Spot the differences! The hidden philosophical anthropology in Aristotle's biological writings Jörn Müller
7. Aristotle on the anthropological difference and animal minds Hans-Johann Glock
Part III. Aristotle's Moral Anthropology: 8. Why human virtue is the measure of all virtue Kathi Beier
9. Aristotle on friendship and being human Nora Kreft
10. Aristotle on the possibility of moral perfection Christoph Horn
Part IV. Aristotle's Political Anthropology: 11. Political animals and human nature in Aristotle's politics Joseph Karbowski
12. Political animals and the genealogy of the polis: Aristotle's politics and Plato's statesman David J. Depew
13. The deficiency of human nature: the task of a 'philosophy of human affairs' Dorothea Frede.

Subject Areas: Philosophy [HP], Humanities [H]