
Aristotle and the Eleatic One
Timothy Clarke(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 10. April 2019
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-19-871970-0 (ISBN)
Description
In this book Timothy Clarke examines Aristotle's response to Eleatic monism, the theory of Parmenides of Elea and his followers that reality is 'one'. Clarke argues that Aristotle interprets the Eleatics as thoroughgoing monists, for whom the pluralistic, changing world of the senses is a mere illusion. Understood in this way, the Eleatic theory constitutes a radical challenge to the possibility of natural philosophy. Aristotle discusses the Eleatics in several works, including De Caelo, De Generatione et Corruptione, and the Metaphysics. But his most extensive treatment of their monism comes at the beginning of the Physics, where he criticizes them for overlooking the fact that 'being is said in many ways' - in other words, that there are many ways of being. Through a careful analysis of this and other criticisms, Clarke explains how Aristotle's engagement with the Eleatics prepares the ground for his own theory of the principles of nature. Aristotle is commonly thought to be an unreliable interpreter of his Presocratic predecessors; in contrast, this book argues that his critique can shed valuable light on the motivation of the Eleatic theory and its influence on the later philosophical tradition.
Reviews / Votes
Persuasively argued but open-ended, Clarke's study is sure to be a critical touchstone for years to come. * J.G. Moore, Lander University, CHOICE *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
441 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-871970-0 (9780198719700)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Timothy Clarke
Aristotle and the Eleatic One
E-Book
04/2019
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€51.49
Available for download

Timothy Clarke
Aristotle and the Eleatic One
E-Book
04/2019
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€47.99
Available for download
Person
Timothy Clarke is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley.
Author
Assistant Professor of PhilosophyAssistant Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley
Content
Introduction 1: Eleaticism and the Philosophy of Nature 2: The Refutation of Eleatic Monism 3: Problems of One and Many 4: Criticisms of Melissus' Argument 5: Parmenides' Argument for Monism 6: Resisting Parmenides' Argument 7: On Giving in to the Eleatics 8: Did Aristotle Change His Mind about Parmenides? Conclusion Appendix: Text and Translation of Physics 1.2DS3