ARISTOTLE AND THE SCIENCE OF NATURE 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 a n d r e a f a l c o n is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Concordia University, Montreal He is the author of Corpi e movimenti: Il De caelo di Aristotele e la sua fortuna nel mondo antico (2001) ARISTOTLE AND THE SCIENCE OF NATURE Unity without Uniformity ANDREA FALCON cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521854399 © Jan Paulsson 2005 This publication is in copyright Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press First published in print format 2005 isbn-13 isbn-10 978-0-511-13258-2 eBook (Adobe Reader) 0-511-13258-1 eBook (Adobe Reader) isbn-13 isbn-10 978-0-521-85439-9 hardback 0-521-85439-3 hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate In memory of Mario Mignucci, my teacher, who cared Lo duca e io per quel cammino ascoso intrammo a ritornar nel chiaro mondo; e sanza cura aver d’alcun riposo, salimmo su`, el primo e io secondo, tanto ch’i’ vidi de le cose belle che porta ’l ciel, per un pertugio tondo E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle Contents Preface Acknowledgments List of abbreviations and conventions The unity, structure, and boundaries of Aristotle’s science of nature page ix xiii xv Bodies 31 Motions 55 The limits of Aristotle’s science of nature 85 Epilogue 113 Bibliography Index of names Index of passages General index 122 130 132 138 vii Preface This book develops the investigation I began in Corpi e movimenti: il De caelo di Aristotele e la sua fortuna nel mondo antico (Naples, 2001) There I discussed Aristotle’s reasons for the view that the celestial bodies are made of a special body which naturally performs circular motion and is different from, and not reducible to, earth, water, air, and fire I have also shown that very few in antiquity, even within the school of Aristotle, were prepared to accept this doctrine, though many, if not most of them, shared Aristotle’s view that the celestial world is a special and somehow distinct region of the natural world This book incorporates material from the Italian one but presents it in the light of a new project By studying the reception of the view that the heavens are made of a special body, I have come to appreciate not only how unusual Aristotle’s conception of the natural world is; I have also come to understand how this conception may have affected the way Aristotle conceives of the science of nature This book is an attempt to explore the significance of the study of the celestial bodies for Aristotle’s project of investigation of the natural world While Aristotle argues, against his predecessors, that the celestial world is radically different from the sublunary world, he is not envisioning two disconnected, or only loosely connected, worlds On the contrary, Aristotle conceives of the natural world as one department of reality with a sufficient unity to be the object of a single science I show, however, that for Aristotle this world exhibits unity without uniformity More specifically, there are features of the celestial world that outrun the explanatory resources developed by Aristotle for the study of the sublunary world According to Aristotle, there is an important discontinuity between the celestial and the sublunary worlds, and this discontinuity leads him to a further conclusion: that the celestial bodies are made of a special body, unique to them ix Bibliography 125 Cappelle, W (1912) “Das Proemium der Meteorologie,” Hermes 47: 514–35 (1913) “Zur Geschichte der meteorologischen Literature,” Hermes 48: 321–58 (1935) Meteorologie, in Paulys Realencyclopaădie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft, rev G Wissowa, Suppl vi Stuttgart: 315–58 Caston, V (1996) “Aristotle on the relation of the intellect to the body Commentary on Broadie,” in Proceedings of the Boston Area Colloquium in Ancient Philosophy, ed J J Clearly, 12: 177–92 Charles, D (2000) “Metaphysics Lambda 2: matter and change,” in Aristotle’s Metaphysics Lambda Symposium Aristotelicum, ed M Frede and D Charles Oxford: 81–110 Charlton, W (1970) Aristotle’s Physics I and II Oxford Code, A (1997) “The priority of final over efficient cause in Aristotle’s Parts of animals,” in Aristotelische Biologie, ed W Kullmann and S Foăllinger Stuttgart: 12743 (2000) Metaphysics Lambda 5, in Aristotles Metaphysics Lambda Symposium Aristotelicum, ed M Frede and D Charles Oxford: 161–79 Cohen, S M (1994) “Aristotle on elemental motion,” Phronesis 39: 150–9 (1996) Aristotle on Nature and Incomplete Substance Cambridge Diels, H (1899) Elementum Eine Vorarbeit zum Geschichten und Lateinischen Thesaurus Leipzig Dillon, J (2003) The Heirs of Plato: A Study of the Old Academy Oxford Dover, K J (1968) Aristophanes Clouds Oxford Dunbar, N (1997) Aristophanes Birds Oxford Easterling, H J (1964) “Quinta Natura,” Museum Helveticum 21: 73–85 Effe, B (1970) Studien zur Kosmologie und Theologie der aristotelischen Schrift ă ber der Philosophie Munich U Egli, F (2003) Euripides im Kontext zeitgenoăssischer intellektueller Stroămungen Analyse der Funktion philosophischer Themen in den Tragoădien und Fragmenten Munich and Leipzig Everson, S (1997) Aristotle on Perception Oxford Falcon, A (1996) “Aristotle’s Theory of Division,” in Aristotle and After, ed R Sorabji London: 127–46 (2001) Corpi e movimenti Il De caelo di Aristotele e la sua fortuna nel mondo antico Naples Frede, M (2000) “Metaphysics Lambda 1,” in Aristotle’s Metaphysics Lambda Simposium Aristotelicum, ed M Frede and D Charles Oxford: 5380 ă bersetzung und Kommentar and Patzig, G (eds.) 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vol i Berlin and New York (1984) Der Aristotelismus bei den Griechen, vol ii Berlin and New York and Sharples, R W (2001) Der Aristotelismus bei den Griechen, vol iii: Alexander von Aphrodisias Berlin and New York Muăller, I (1982) “Aristotle and the quadrature of the circle,” in Infinity and Continuity in Ancient and Medieval Thought, ed N Kretzmann Ithaca, NY and London: 146–64 et al (forthcoming) Simplicius: Against Philoponus on the Eternity of the World Owen, G E L (1986) “Tithenai ta phainomena,” in G E L Owen, Logic, Science and Dialectic Collected Papers in Greek Philosophy London: 239–51 Pellegrin, P (2000) “Physics,” in Greek Thought, A Guide to Classical Knowledge, ed J Brunschwig and G E R Lloyd, translated under the direction of C Porter Cambridge, MA: 433–51 (2003) “Aristote de Stagire: La Physique,” in Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques, Supple´ment, ed R Goulet, J.-M Flamand, and M Aouad Paris: 265–71 and Crubellier, M (2002) Aristote: le philosophe et les savoirs 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“Theophrastus on the heavens,” in Aristoteles Werk und Wirkung, ed J Wiesner, vol i: Aristoteles und seine Schule New York and Berlin: 577–93 (1998) Theophrastus of Eresus Sources for his Life, Writings, Thought, and Influence Commentary Volume 3.1 Sources in Physics Leiden, Boston and Cologne (1999) “The Peripatetic school,” in From Aristotle to Augustine, ed D Furley, Routledge History of Philosophy, vol ii London and New York: 147–87 Siorvanes, L (1996) Proclus Neo-platonic Philosophy and Science Edinburgh Bibliography 129 Solmsen, S (1960) Aristotle’s System of the Physical World A Comparison with his Predecessors Ithaca, NY Sorabji, R (1988) Matter, Space and Motion Theories in Antiquity and their Sequel London Tara´n, L (1975) Academica: Plato, Philip of Opus and the Pseudo-Platonic Epinomis Philadelphia (2001) “Aristotelianism in the first century B.C.,” in L Tara´n, Collected Papers Leiden, Boston, and Cologne: 479–524 Taub, L (2003) Ancient Metereology London Taylor, A E (1928) A Commentary on Plato’s Timaeus Oxford Van den Bruwaene, M (ed.) (1978) Cice´ron: De natura deorum Brussels Vlastos, G (1975) Plato’s Universe London Voll-Graff, W (1949) “Elementum,” Mnemosyne 4: 89–115 Ward, P (1996) “Souls and figures Defining the soul in the De anima II 3,” Ancient Philosophy 16: 113–28 Waterlow, S (1982) Nature, Change and Agency in Aristotle’s Physics A Philosophical Study Oxford Wedin, M V (1988) Mind and Imagination New Haven and London (1992) “Aristotle on the mechanics of thought,” in Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy, vol v Aristotle’s Ontology, ed A Preus and J P Anton New York: 243–71 Wehrli, F (1983) Der Peripatos bis zum Beginn der roămischen Keiserzeit, in Grundriss der Geschichte der Philosophie Die Philosophie der Antike 3: Aăltere ¨ berweg, K Praechter, and H Academie – Aristoteles – Peripatos, ed F U Flashar Basel and Stuttgart: 461–599 West, M (1982) “Cosmology in the Greek tragedians,” in Balkan and Asia Minor Studies Tokyo: 1–13 Wieland, W (1962) Die aristotelische Physik Goăttingen Wildberg, Ch (1987) Philoponus: On Aristotle on the Eternity of the World London (1988) John Philoponus’s Criticism of Aristotles Theory of Aether New York and Berlin ă berlieferung des Anfuăhrungszeichnes, (1993) Simplicius und das Zitat Zur U in Symbolae Berolinenses fuăr D Harlfinger, ed C Berger, F Brockmann, G De Gregorio, M I Ghisu, S Kotzabassi, and N Noack Amsterdam: 187–98 Index of names Alcmeon of Croton, 103 Alexander of Aphrodisias, 19, 21, 22, 65, 77, 80, 84, 92–3, 102, 107–8, 114, 115 Anaxagoras, 3, 38, 111–12, 117 Anaximenes, 120 Andronicus of Rhodes, 69–70, 114 Antiphon the Sophist, 27 Anton, J P., 104 Apollodorus of Seleucia, 36, 53 Easterling, H J., 114 Effe, B., 72 Egli, F., 116 Eudemus of Rhodes, 48 Euripides, 117 Eudoxus of Cnidus, 74, 75 Balme, D., 88 Barnes, J., Beere, J B., 13 Blank, D L., 51 Bodna´r, I., 11, 42, 84, 107 Boethus of Sidon (Peripatetic philosopher), 69–70 Boethus of Sidon (Stoic philosopher), 37 Bogen, J., 104 Bostock, D., 24 Broadie, S., 19, 76 Brunschwig, J., Burkert, W., 50 Burnyeat, M F., 2, 8, 13, 17, 20 Byrne, P H., 105 Gaiser, K., 50 Gigon, O., 72 Gill, M L., 42, 109 Goldstein, B R., 100 Gottschalk, H B., 67 Grant, E., 62 Guariglia, O N., 105 Guthrie, W K C., 77 Cappelle, W., Caston, V., 19 Cleanthes, 120 Charles, D., 102, 108 Charlton, W., 109 Chrysippus, 37, 118, 120 Code, A., 4, 7, 9, 21, 39, 41 Cohen, S M., 42 Democritus, 48, 56 Diels, H., 50 Dillon, J., 77 Duăring, I., Falcon, A., 14, 70, 80, 84 Frede, M., 17, 89, 109 Furley, D., 72, 88 Hahm, D., 114, 117 Hankinson, R J., 63, 70 Heinze, R., 81, 82 Heraclitus, 120 Herminus, 84 Hippocrates of Chios, 27 Jaeger, W., 77, 120 Jouanna, J., 27, 103 Judson, L., 84 Julianus of Tralles, 84 Kahn, C H., 116 Kingsley, P., 116, 117 Koller, K., 50 Kraămer, K., 50 Labarrie`re, J.-L., 94 Lang, H S., Leggatt, S., 33 Lennox, J G., 4, 5, 6, 19 130 Index of names Leone, G., 47 Leucippus, 56 Lloyd, G E R., 18, 27, 100, 101 Lorenz, H., 97 Mansfeld, J., 52 Matthen, M., 13–14, 37 McKirahan, R., 14, 28 Melissus, 26–8 Menn, S., 39 Modrak, D K., 95 Moraux, P., 62, 63, 72, 77, 84, 114 Muăller, I., 27 Numenius, 80 Owen, G E L., 100 Parmenides, 26–8 Patzig, G., 109 Pellegrin, P., Philip of Ophus, 77 Plotinus, 67–9, 85 Plutarch of Athens, 102 Pohlenz, M., 36 Posidonius, 36, 118 Preus, A., 88 Proclus, 47 Protagoras, 27 Ptolemy, 67–8 131 Reinhardt, K., 36 Rose, V., 72, 105 Ross, W D., 72, 105 Sambursky, S., 63 Schofield, M., 109 Sedley, D N., 13 Sharples, R W., 44, 60, 63, 84, 117 Simplicius, 29, 43, 44, 63–4, 65 Siorvanes, L., 47 Sorabji, R., 108, 109 Strato of Lampsacus, 63, 68 Tara´n, L., 77 Theaetetus, 78 Van den Bruwaene, M., 72 Vlastos, G., 46 Voll-Graff, W., 50 Walzer, R., 72 Ward, P., 92 Waterlow, S., 28, 41 Wedin, M V., 17, 94, 95 West, M., 116 Wildberg, Ch., 33, 62, 65 Xenarchus of Seleucia, 63–4, 64–7, 67–9, 70 Xenocrates, 80–2 Zeno of Citium, 52, 54, 118, 120 Index of passages Aristotle A post 77 a 25–35, 29 Cat b 8–19, 14 a 17–18, 104 DA 402 a 4–7, 17, 22 402 b 3–9, 91 403 a 8–10, 95 412 a 13, 38 412 a 14–15, 38, 44 412 a 17, 44 412 b 3, 39 412 b 5–6, 39 413 a 22, 90 413 a 31–2, 19, 91 413 b 1–6, 96 414 b 20–1, 92 414 b 22, 24–5, 92 415 a 8–9, 18, 91 415 b 1–3, 74 416 b 18, 39 416 b 34, 20 417 a 1–2, 8, 95 423 b 29, 428 a 8–11, 97 428 b 30 – 429 a 2, 94 429 a 18, 21 429 a 22, 96 429 b 13, 95 429 b 20–1, 95 431 a 16–17, 95 431 b 2, 95 432 a 8–10, 95 432 a 15–16, 88 432 b 12–14, 95 432 b 14, 93 432 b 15–16, 94 432 b 21, 88 432 b 25, 93 Achilles Tatius Isagoge 2.1, 71 5, 115, 118 Alexander of Aphrodisias De Anima 1.1–3, 19 28.25–8, 92 43.9, 114 45.3, 114 De fato 181.16–20, 77 De mixtione 223.10–11, 115 229.6–9, 107 In Meteora 3.29 – 4.1, 22 In Metaph 22.2–3, 107 169.18–19, 107 375.37 – 376.1, 107 Mantissa 123.4 – 126.23, 80 Quaestiones I 1, 1.3.9, 114 I 1, 3.14–15, 114 I 1, 4.1–2, 114 I 10, 20.10, 114 I 10, 20.31–2, 107 I 10, 21.7, 114 I 25, 40.10, 114 II 3, 47.30, 114 III 12, 106.271, 114 Ambrose Exameron I 6.23, 71 Aristophanes Aves 1001–5, 27 Nubes 225–5, 358–60, 132 Index of passages 432 b 26, 96 433 a 4–5, 97 433 a 15, 94 434 a 31, 88 433 b 27–30, 97 DC 268 a 1–6, 31, 42 268 a 4–6, 43 268 a 6–7, 31 268 a 7–10, 32 268 a 10–13, 33 268 a 13–15, 33 268 a 15–19, 33 268 b 5, 33 268 b 5–8, 34 268 b 8–10, 35 269 a 2–9, 57–9 269 a 9–18, 59–60 269 a 32 – b 2, 61 269 b 13–16, 115 269 b 24–5, 41 269 b 31, 119 270 a 12–15, 106 270 a 33, 119 270 b 3, 115 270 b 11, 115 270 b 20–1, 10, 116 270 b 20–3, 118 270 b 22, 115 270 b 24–5, 116 271 a 20–2, 106 271 a 33, 88 271 b 1–17, 45 279 b 3, 119 284 b 21–4, 40 285 b 19–20, 97 286 a 4–7, 86 286 a 12, 119 286 b 7, 119 287 b 24–7, 98 287 b 28 – 288 a 2, 98, 101 288 a 2–3, 88 289 b 5, 100 291 b 13–14, 88 291 b 24–8, 99, 101 291 b 29–31, 74, 99 291 b 32, 115 292 a 10–14, 13, 74, 99 292 a 14–17, 85 292 a 18–20, 74 292 a 18–22, 74, 90 292 a 20–2, 74 297 a 4, 100 298 b 2–4, 44 302 a 31 – b 2, 117 302 b 2–5, 116 300 b 8–10, 55 305 b 26 – 306 a 1, 47 306 a 23–6, 46 306 a 26 – b 2, 48 306 a 30 – b 7, 82 307 a 16–17, 48 310 a 3, 66–7 310 a 33–4, 66 311 a 17–18, 41 EE 1216 a 12–14, GA 715 a 4–6, 716 a 11, 731 a 30 – b 5, 735 a 21, 739 b 19, 88 741 b 4, 88 744 a 37–8, 88 783 b 20, GC 314 a 28 – b 1, 117 316 a 14–16, 45 324 a 34–5, 10 324 b 5–6, 10 324 b 6, 10 324 b 19, 10 333 b 7, 334 b 30–1, 80 335 a 28–9, 15 336 a 14–18, 11 336 b 27–8, 88 337 a 1–7, 11 IA 704 b 15, 88 705 a 27 – b 2, 39 705 b 30 – 706 a 26, 40 705 b 7–8, 39 708 a 9–10, 88 711 a 19, 88 Metaph Gamma 1004 a 2, 105 1005 a 34, 14 Delta 1018 a 27–8, 104 1021 b 31–3, 33 1021 b 32 – 1022 a 1, 33 Epsilon 1025 b 7–8, 14 1025 b 18–21, 14, 15 1026 a 5–6, 21 1026 a 6, 21 1026 a 18–19, 28 133 134 Aristotle (cont.) Zeta 1028 b 8–9, 115 1028 b 8–13, 42 1029 a 12–16, 109 1029 a 16–19, 109 1029 a 18–19, 109 1032 a 20–1, 10 1032 a 25, 1033 b 32, Eta 1042 b 5–6, 106 Theta 1048 b 37 – 1049 a 1, 1049 b 25, Iota 1054 a 30, 105 1055 a 4–5, 104 1055 a 27–8, 104 Lambda 1069 a 14–15, 10 1069 a 30–3, 88–9 1069 b 3, 102 1069 b 4–5, 102 1069 b 6–7, 102 1069 b 8–9, 102 1069 b 14–15, 105 1069 b 24–6, 108 1069 b 26, 106 1069 b 33–4, 105 1070 a 8, 1070 b 34, 1071 a 11–17, 1071 b 31–4, 56 Nu 1092 a 16, Meteor 338 a 20 – 339 a 9, 2–3 338 b 2, 50, 115 339 a 21–2, 30 339 b 16–17, 50, 115 340 b 11, 115 355 a 14, 120 369 b 21–31, 116 NE 1109 b 35 – 1110 a 1, 76 1110 a 1–4, 76 PA 639 a 12, 639 b 8–10, 639 b 15 – 640 b 5, 640 a 2, 640 a 9–10, 640 a 25, 640 b – 641 a 17, Index of passages 641 a 29–30, 641 a 33–4, 5, 19 641 b 5–6, 20 641 b 9–10, 19 641 b 11, 644 b 16, 644 b 23–32, 85–6, 101 644 b 32 – 645 a 7, 645 a 3, 645 a 3–4, 645 a 4–5, 645 a 4–7, 7, 100 645 a 5, 645 a 5–6, 645 b 9–11, 646 a 15, 646 a 33, 658 a 8, 88 658 a 23, 88 661 b 24, 88 687 a 16–17, 88 691 b 4–5, 88 694 a 15, 88 695 b 19–20, 88 Phys 184 a 14–16, 23 184 b 25 – 185 a 1, 26 185 a 2–3, 28 185 a 8, 26, 27 185 a 9–10, 27 185 a 17, 27 185 a 18–19, 26 185 a 19, 26 187 a 28–9, 24 188 a 22–4, 104 188 a 26–30, 25 189 b 27, 105 189 b 31–2, 25 190 a 31, 26 192 a 21, 108 192 b 2–4, 24 193 a 4–9, 28 193 a 11, 108 193 b 8, 194 a 13, 30 194 b 13, 198 a 22–3, 15, 29 198 a 22–31, 29 198 a 26, 199 a 27–9, 39 202 a 11, 209 a 4–5, 32 212 b 20–2, 117 255 a 29–30, 67 260 a 22–3, 88 Index of passages PN 436 a 1–6, 22 442 b 25, 467 a 33–4, 39 467 b 2, 39 467 b 4, 468 a 4–12, 39 468 a 9–11, 39 468 a 31, 468 a 4–12, 39 469 a 27–8, 88 476 a 13, 88 Pol 1256 b 15–22, 13 Rhet 1354 a 1–6, 28 SE 165 a 38 – b 8, 27 Top 123 b 1–37, 104 [Aristotle] De mundo 392 a 5–9, 118 Arnobius Adversus nationes ii 9, 113 Athenagoras Legatio pro Christianis 64.2530, 71 Basil Hexaeămeron i 11, 71 Cicero Academica i 7, 26, 113 i 39, 52 De finibus bonorum et malorum iv 5.12, 113 De natura deorum i 33, 117 ii 40, 120 ii 41, 117 ii 44, 72 Tusculanae disputationes i 10, 113 i 17, 113 i 22, 113 i 41, 113 [Clement] Recognitiones viii 15, 113 Diogenes Laertius Vitae philosophorum ii 12, 111, 112 iii 37, 77 v 32, 71, 113 v 21, 105 vii 135, 53 vii 143, 36 vii 150, 38 ix 9, 120 Epiphanius Adversus haereses iii 31, 121 Euripides Troades 1079–80, 117 [Galen] Historia philosopha 18, 71, 119 23, 52 54, 113 Geminus Elementa astronomiae 1.19–22, 100 Hippocrates De arte i 1.1, 27 De flatibus i, 4.10–11, 103 iii, 3, 119 De natura hominis iv 172.15 – 174.4, 103 VT i 3.7, i 3.8–10, xiv 4.16, 103 xx 1.1–7, 24 Hippolytus Refutatio omnium haeresium i 7, 120 i 20.4, 71 vii 19.3–4, 71, 113 Homer Iliad xiv 288, 116 [Iustinus] Cohortatio ad graecos 5.2.15–20, 71 Nemesius De natura hominis 5.165, 71 Olympiodorus In Meteora 2.14–16, 113 135 136 Olympiodorus (cont.) 2.19, 113 2.29–30, 113 [Philo] De aeternitate mundi 78–80, 37 Philoponus In Meteora 3.37, 113 5.9–10, 113 5.13, 113 9.31, 113 9.33, 113 14.32, 113 14.37, 113 31.29, 113 58.8–9, 113 97.20–2, 62 In DA 595.37 – 598.24, 102 In GC 210.12–16, 47 Plato Cratilus 410 b 6–7, 118 Laws 897 b–c, 91 899 a, 91 899 a–b, 91 Phaedo 70 d – 71 a 10, 103 Phaedrus 269 g – 272 b, Philebus 17 a – 18 d, 48 Timaeus 28 b – c 2, 79 29 b, 90 29 c – d 3, 101 30 b, 30 b 6–7, 35 30 a 5, 36 30 c – d 4, 36 30 c 4, 36 30 c 5, 36 30 d, 90 31 b – 32 c, 79–80 32 d, 90 33 b, 90 39 a, 6, 91 39 b, 91 39 b 4, 94 39 d 8, 94 39 e, Index of passages 40 b, 90 48 b – c 1, 50–1 53 c 4–5, 45 53 c 5–6, 32, 45 54 b 4–5, 45 55 a 7, 45 55 c 4–6, 78 56 d 7, 45 56 e 6, 45 57 c 7–8, 45 58 c 5–7, 79 77 a, 77 b 1–2, 82 a–b, 103 90 e 1–3, 92 c, 90 [Plato] Epinomis 981 b 3–4, 79 981 c 5–8, 79 981 c – d 5, 79, 81 984 b – e 5, 81 984 b – c 2, 81 984 d – e 5, 81 984 e 1, 81 985 b 1–4, 81 985 b – c 1, 81 Plotinus Enneads ii 1.2.12–13, 113 ii 1.6.1–21, 80 ii 2.1.14–19, 68 ii 2.1.19–23, 69 ii 2.1.23–4, 69 ii 2.1.24–5, 69 ii 2.1.27–9, 69 ii 2.1.37–9, 69 Plutarch De defectu oraculorum 12, 81 28, 37 De Iside et Osiride 360 d–f, 82 De Stoicorum repugnantiis 41, 120 Lysander 12, 111 [Plutarch] Placita 878 b 8–9, 70, 113, 115 881 e 10 – f 7, 70, 113, 115 882 f 4, 51 887 e 3–4, 51 887 d 7–11, 70, 115 888 b 10–11, 70 Index of passages Proclus Hypotyposis astronomicarum positionum 4.7, 100 In Rempublicam ii 48.4–27, 82 In Timaeum ii 11.24–31, 68 ii 42.9–12, 63 ii 43.20 – 44.18, 80 iii 9.4–5, 80 iii 279.2–3, 47 iv 113.30–1, 68 Sextus Empiricus M i 21, 51 i 27, 82 ix 78, 36 ix 81–4, 36 ix 226, 51 ix 316, 71 ix 332, 36 x 240, 51 x 249–50, 49 x 316, 113 PH iii 30–2, 119 iii 31, 71 iii 37, 53 iii 38, 51 iii 39, 52 iii 126, 51 iii 152, 51 iii 316, 113 Simplicius In DC 6.34 – 7.3, 44 7.20–8, 43 12.22–6, 82, 90 13.22, 63, 113 20.10–15, 67 20.12, 63, 113 20.23–5, 68 21.33, 63, 113 21.35 – 22.17, 67–9 26.31–3, 64 34.14–19, 62 42.19–20, 64 112.2, 116 156.25 – 201.10, 107 380.1–3, 84 380.3–5, 84 380.29 – 381.2, 84 488.3–24, 100 563.26 – 564.3, 47 137 573.3–11, 47 577.17–19, 47 648.19–28, 47 In Phys 7.10–15, 48, 50 155.21–30, 38 164.17–20, 38 164.26 – 165.1, 38 363.6–7, 29 1165.35–9, 82, 90 1219.3–7, 84 [Simplicius] In DA 1.23 – 3.28, 17 3.21 – 4.11, 92 320.17 – 321.2, 102 Stobaeus Eclogae i 10, 46 i 23.10–15, 111 i 37.16–18, 70, 113, 115 i 128.4–9, 70, 113, 115 i 129.1 – 130.20, 50 i 140.15, 51 i 142.2–7, 38 i 195.20 – 196.2, 70, 115 i 196.5–16, 70 i 196.11–12, 115 i 200.21–2, 19, 63 i 200.25, 70 i 206.7–8, 63 i 206.19–24, 119 i 209.5–10, 121 i 212.25–7, 113 i 214.1–3, 118 i 219.19–25, 118 Strabo Geographica xiv 5.4.8 (670), 63 Theodoretus Graecarum affectionum curatio iv 12, 71 iv 18, 71 iv 21, 71 Theo Smyrnaeus Expositio rerum mathematicarum ad legendum Platonem utilium 177.9ff, 100 Xenophon Memorabilia i 1.1.13–14, 111 iv 7.6–7, 112 General index This is a selective index and is intended to supplement the Index of names and the Index of passages aithe¯r aithe¯r and ae¯r, 116 aithe¯r and fire, 116–17 in Aristotle, 10, 79, 115–17 in the Epinomis, 78–82 in the doxography, 115 in the Stoics, 118–19, 120 dimension as diastasis, 32 as diaste¯ma, 32 discontinuity between the celestial and the sublunary world, 87–9, 119–21 element elements, 48–51 fifth element, 10, 113–14 first element, 50–1, 114–15 body aetherial body, 115–17 arguments for the existence of a celestial simple body, 57–62 bodies, 42–3 bodies and elements, 48–51 bodies and magnitudes, 31–6, 42, 44–5 body and antitupia, 52 divine body, 114 fifth body, 10, 113–14 fifth body in antiquity, 70–1 fifth body in the Epinomis, 77–83 first body, 114–15 living bodies, 38–40 mathematical bodies versus natural bodies (so¯ma versus sterea), 37–40, 52–4 Stoic and Epicurean conceptions of body, 51–4 sublunary simple bodies, 41–2 Heraclitus Aristotle and Heraclitus on celestial nourishment, 119–21 intellegibility, lack of, 109–12 matter Alexander of Aphrodisias on celestial matter, 107–8 celestial matter, 101–9 meteo¯ra, Anaxagoras and ta meteo¯ra, 111–12 meteorology before Aristotle, meteorology versus metarsiology, motion circular motion and contrariety, 106–7 circular motion versus celestial motion, 83–4 natural versus forced motion, 61–2 natural versus non-natural motion, 56–7, 61–2, 71–7 supernatural motion, 62 voluntary versus non-voluntary motion, 72 contrariety circular motion and contrariety, 106–7 for one thing there is one contrary at most, 60–2 language and theory of contrariety, 25, 102–5 cosmos cosmos as a causal system, 11–13 cosmos as a system of bodies, 44–5 cosmos as a teleological system, 13 cosmos as a unified whole, 10–11, 35–6, 37 Parmenides and Melissus, Aristotle’s criticism of, 26–8 138 General index phainomenon, 98–9, 99–100 phainomenon versus phainomena, 100–1 Plato aithe¯r, 118 bodies and regular polyhedra, 45–6 body, 32, 45 contraries, 103 demonology, 81–2 elementary triangles, 46–8 elements, 48–9 minimal thickness (hypothesis), 47 sensible world, 35–6 remoteness, 85–7 conceptual versus geographical remoteness, 86–7 substance eternal and perishable sensible substances, 88–9 fifth substance, 113–14 first substance, 114–15 substances and bodies, 42 139 Stoicism aithe¯r, 118–19, 120 all versus whole, 36 body, 54 unified bodies, 36–7 unity causal unity, 14 material unity, 15–16 methodological unity, 15 Xenarchus, 63 Xenarchus as a Peripatetic philosopher, 69–70 Xenarchus and Philoponus, 63–4 Xenarchus and Plotinus, 67–9 Xenarchus and Simplicius, 63–4, 65 Xenarchus’ critique of Aristotle’s doctrine of natural motion, 64–7 zo¯ia, 6, 17–18, 82, 90–2 zo¯ion, 6, 90–1 zo¯ia versus zo¯nta, 6, 17–18 stars as zo¯ia, 91 ... that the study of the soul is preliminary to the study of life, but it is not a part of the science of nature I discuss the problematic relation between the science of nature and the study of the. .. air and water, and the kinds and parts of earth and the affections of its parts These throw light on the causes of winds and earthquakes and all the consequences the motions of these kinds and. .. lines of the Meteorology reveal a firm grasp of the boundaries of the science of nature Tellingly, the study of the soul is not mentioned as part of the program of inquiry into nature Elsewhere Aristotle