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This book argues that Aristotle offers us a consistent theory of definition, according to which a particular type of definition – one which states the formal cause of a simple item – is fundamental. It begins by considering definitions as indemonstrable first principles in demonstrations, and inquires how such definitions can have the certainty required by that role. Later chapters look to the Metaphysics to understand how the unity of definitions guarantees their certainty, and to the Topics to discover why definitions must be formulated in terms of the genus and differentia(e) of the object defined. This work contributes to our understanding of the connection between the function of definition in demonstration and its character as a statement of essence.
Aristotle's remarks about the differences between the sexes have become infamous for their implications for the social status of women. In his observations on female biology, Aristotle claims that the female nature is, as it were, a deformity. In describing women's role in the public sphere, he claims that women are naturally subordinate because, while they possess a deliberative faculty, that capacity is without authority. While both claims express the inferiority of female bodies/women relative to male bodies/men, it is not self-evident that the defects Aristotle identifies in female biology have cognitive or moral manifestations that would justify the rule of men over women in political l...
One of the most influential works in the history of political theory, Aristotle's Politics is a treatise in practical philosophy, intended to inform legislators and to create the conditions for virtuous and self-sufficient lives for the citizens of a state. In this Companion, distinguished scholars offer new perspectives on the work and its themes. After an opening exploration of the relation between Aristotle's ethics and his politics, the central chapters follow the sequence of the eight books of the Politics, taking up questions such as the role of reason in legitimizing rule, the common good, justice, slavery, private property, citizenship, democracy and deliberation, unity, conflict, law and authority, and education. The closing chapters discuss the interaction between Aristotle's political thought and contemporary democratic theory. The volume will provide a valuable resource for those studying ancient philosophy, classics, and the history of political thought.
'Aristotle on Sexual Difference' is a book about Aristotle's understanding of the differences between male and females, and men and women. It considers what he says about biological differences between the sexes and about psychological differences that he thinks justify different political roles for men and women. It discusses the authors who preceded Aristotle, highlighting that they treat sexual difference as a misfortune, and women as an evil inflicted on men. This book demonstrates that Aristotle rejects that view, and that he argues for the benefit of sexual difference to animal species, and the value of women to their political communities.
This volume of original articles covers diverse aspects of ancient philosophy, including the work of Plato, Aristotle, and the stoics.
Over the course of the past twenty-five years, feminist theory has had a forceful impact upon the history of Western philosophy. The present collection of essays has as its primary aim to evaluate past women’s published philosophical work, and to introduce readers to newly recovered female figures; the collection will also make contributions to the history of the philosophy of gender, and to the history of feminist social and political philosophy, insofar as the collection will discuss women’s views on these issues. The volume contains contributions by an international group of leading historians of philosophy and political thought, whose scholarship represents some of the very best work being done in North and Central America, Canada, Europe and Australia.
This volume examines the use of a central concept in the self-definition of any Greek speaking male: Andreia, the notion of courage and manliness. The nature and use of value terms quickly leads the researcher to core issues of cultural identity: through a combination of lexical or semantic and conceptual studies the discourse of manliness and its role in the construction of social order is studied, in a variety of authors, genres, and communicative situations. This book is of interest to students of the classical world, the history of values, gender studies, and cultural historians.
All citizens in a democracy are promised the same guaranteed rights, but should they have the same obligations? Should minorities with different attitudes toward the state be obliged to do national service in the name of equality? And what are the social and political consequences for minorities not given the opportunity to serve? This groundbreaking study examines civic (non-military) national service in Israel from independence until today, focusing on the controversies that ensued as the ethos of Israeli citizenship evolved from republican to liberal. Civic national service for religious girls was instituted in 1971 on a voluntary basis while remaining closed to others. After 2000, the pr...
This book promotes the research of present-day women working in ancient and medieval philosophy, with more than 60 women having contributed in some way to the volume in a fruitful collaboration. It contains 22 papers organized into ten distinct parts spanning the sixth century BCE to the fifteenth century CE. Each part has the same structure: it features, first, a paper which sets up the discussion, and then, one or two responses that open new perspectives and engage in further reflections. Our authors’ contributions address pivotal moments and players in the history of philosophy: women philosophers in antiquity, Cleobulina of Rhodes, Plato, Lucretius, Bardaisan of Edessa, Alexander of Aphrodisias, Plotinus, Porphyry, Peter Abelard, Robert Kilwardby, William Ockham, John Buridan, and Isotta Nogarola. The result is a thought-provoking collection of papers that will be of interest to historians of philosophy from all horizons. Far from being an isolated effort, this book is a contribution to the ever-growing number of initiatives which endeavour to showcase the work of women in philosophy.
Aristotle still influences our abstract thinking, our search for principles, and our reflections on virtue, nature, essence, and sexual difference. Feminists here concede that they too philosophize within the tradition founded by the ancient Greeks. The contributors to this volume enter into new, creative, and subtle dimensions of inquiry about Aristotle from a broader feminist perspective.