Document Type

Marquette Only

Language

eng

Publication Date

2009

Publisher

SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo

Source Publication

Documenti e Studi Sulla Tradizione Filosofica Mediavale

Source ISSN

1122-5750

Abstract

The Prior and Posterior Analytics were entitled Ta Analutika by Aristotle himself. But it is not at all clear what Aristotle had in mind in grouping these two works together and in giving them this common title. This question was discussed at length by the ancient Greek commentators on Aristotle. Two main possibilities emerged. The first is that taken by Alexander of Aphrodisias, Ammonius, and Philoponus in his commentary on APr, According to this line of thought, Aristotle has in mind the analysis that shows how a complex arises out of simple entities; both Analytics show us how to subject all lines of syllogistic reasoning (including demonstration) to such analysis. According to the second approach, found in the commentary on Apo. 2 attributed to Philoponus, in giving APo., 2 the title 'Analytics' Aristotle has in mind the analysis that reasons from effects to causes. Demonstrations reveal the causes of things, and Apo. 2 shows how this is the case. In this paper, the two approaches arc compared, and a third approach, which builds on the second, but allows ‘Analytics' to have a continuity of sense in its use as a title, is proposed.

Comments

Published version. Documenti E Studi Sulla Tradizione Filosofica Medievale, Vol. 20, (2009): 127-14. Publisher link. © 2009 SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo. Used with permission.

Download
goldin_12066acc.docx (76 kB)
ADA Accessible Version

Share

COinS