Philoponus: On Aristotle On Coming-to-Be and Perishing 1.1-5 (Ancient Commentators on Aristotle)

The first five chapters of Aristotle s "De Generatione et Corruptione" distinguish creation and destruction from mere qualitative change and from growth. They include a fascinating debate about the atomists analysis of creation and destruction as due to the rearrangement of indivisible atoms. Aristotle s rival belief in the infinite divisibility of matter is explained and defended against the atomists powerful attack on infinite divisibility. But what inspired Philoponus most in his commentary is the topic of organic growth. How does it take place without ingested matter getting into the same place as the growing body? And how is personal identity preserved, if our matter is always in flux, and our form depends on our matter? If we do not depend on the persistence of matter why are we not immortal? Analogous problems of identity arise also for inanimate beings. Philoponus draws out a brief remark of Aristotle s to show that cause need not be like effect. For example, what makes something hard may be cold, not hard. This goes against a persistent philosophical prejudice, but Philoponus makes it plausible that Aristotle recognized this truth. These topics of identity over time and the principles of causation are still matters of intense discussion." MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Contents 6 Preface 8 Introduction 12 Textual Emendations 26 Translation 28 Proem 30 1.1. Monists and Pluralists 36 1.2. Infinite Divisibility 51 1.3. Coming-to-Be Simpliciter 77 1.4. Alteration 103 1.5 Growth 110 Notes 170 English-Greek Glossary 194 A 194 B 194 C 194 D 195 E 195 F 195 G 195 H 195 I 195 J 195 K 195 L 195 M 196 N 196 O 196 P 196 Q 196 R 196 S 196 T 197 U 197 V 197 W 197 Greek-English Index 198 A 198 B 199 D 199 E 199 G 200 H 200 I 200 K 200 L 200 M 201 O 201 P 201 R 202 S 202 T 202 Subject Index 203 A 203 C 203 D 204 E 204 G 204 H 205 L 205 M 205 N 205 O 205 P 205 S 206 T 206 V 206 The first five chapters of Aristotle's De Generatione et Corruptione distinguish creation and destruction from mere qualitative change and from growth. But what inspires Philoponus most in his commentary on these chapters is the topic of organic growth. How does it take place without ingested matter getting into the same place as the growing body? And how is personal identity preserved, if our matter is always in flux, and our form depends on our matter? If we do not depend on the persistence of matter why are we not immortal? Analogous problems of identity arise also for inanimate beings. These topics of identity over time and the principles of causation are still matters of intense philosophical discussion Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Preface......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 Textual Emendations......Page 26 Translation......Page 28 Proem......Page 30 1.1. Monists and Pluralists......Page 36 1.2. Infinite Divisibility......Page 51 1.3. Coming-to-Be Simpliciter......Page 77 1.4. Alteration......Page 103 1.5 Growth......Page 110 Notes......Page 170 C......Page 194 L......Page 195 S......Page 196 W......Page 197 A......Page 198 E......Page 199 L......Page 200 P......Page 201 T......Page 202 C......Page 203 G......Page 204 P......Page 205 V......Page 206 Translated By C.j.f. Williams ; Introduction By Sylvia Berryman. Series Statement From Jacket. Translated From The Ancient Greek. Published Simulataneously In The U.s. Under The Title: Philoponus On Aristotle's On Coming-to-be And Perishing 1.1-5 (ithaca, N.y. : Cornell University Press). Includes Bibliographical References (p. [159]-182) And Indexes. This series translates the 15,000 pages of philosophical writings by the ancient Greek commentators on Aristotle, written mainly between 200 and 600 AD. Now translated into English, these works include introductions, notes and comprehensive indexes, filling a gap in the history of European thought.