Customer Reviews

The Basic Works of Aristotle (Modern Library Classics)

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This book is the best one-volume selection of Aristotle's works out there. Your other choices are either the two-volume complete works of Aristotle (ISBN: 069101650X and 0691016518), choppy and ragged selections of the overall books, or buying the individual books. This books facilitates study of Aristotle's comprehensive and coherent philosophy.

This edition has Organon, Physics, On The Heavens, On generation And Corruption, On The Soul, Short Physical Treaties, the Three Animals Treaties, Metaphysics, Ethics, Politics, Rhetoric, and Poetics. You have all of the standards that a student would need, plus the lesser-known works. Therefore, this book has achieved the Aristotelian "mean." It is in perfect balance.

The selection is superb, but the translation is moderate. Being done in the 1940's, it sounds tinny. The "old school" translation is full of Latinisms, archaisms, and is stuffy. All this means that it is unclear, which is deadly to a translation.

The Philosophy of Aristotle (ISBN: 0451528875), on the other hand, is a lively and vibrant. And above all, a clear translation.

I recommend getting the hardcover edition. The paper is sturdy, and not the newsprint like tin the soft cover. Furthermore, it is a high-quality binding, and even comes in a protecting box. This book is made to last, to endure, and to be used.

Not everyone who is interested in reading Aristotle will want to buy the two volumes of the Oxford translation of Aristotle's complete works. If you're someone who is studying Aristotle for a college course or simply want to become acquainted with what he wrote, then I recommend this book. As other reviewers have said it has complete versions of all of the most famous works of Aristotle e.g. Nichomachean Ethics,Politics,Metaphysics and Physics and also the complete Categories and De Interpretatione from the Organon. As for the translations, these are taken from the original Oxford translation published in 12 volumes in the 1920's. They may not be quite as up to date as the translations in the present Oxford translation but they're perfectly acceptable and correct. As it says on the back cover of the book, this is the best one volume edition of Aristotle's works that you can buy.

Richard Mckeon's "Basic Works of Aristotle" proves to be the best single volume extract from the writtings of Aristotle. All the necessary prerequisites were applied in creating this wonderful book. The quality price ratio far surmounts that of any other volume. It's comprehensive and concise, lengthy yet time saving. Definitely a steal; please purchase Mckeon's work, it's the best volume out there!

I'm only just starting to read Aristotle's works, but already I wish I got the 2-volume Oxford set. Compare the line 20 of the first book (translated by Edghill) from Basic Works:

"Of things themselves some are predicable of a subject, and are never present in a subject. Thus 'man' is predicable of the individual man, and is never present in a subject."

to the corresponding line from the Oxford (translated by Ackrill):

"Of things there are (a) some are *said* of a subject but are not *in* any subject. For example, man is said of a subject, the individual man, but is not in any subject."

The Oxford seems to be a smoother translation, and perhaps a little clearer.

Also some of the works in Basic Works are abridged. For example, Chapters 4-33 are omitted from On Sophistical Refutations.

UPDATE 2010-12-13 -----------------

I found the Oxford translation hard going - too hard, really. Note that the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy page on Aristotle mentions that while the Oxford texts are the standard, Irwin and Fine's "Aristotle: Selections" is an "excellent translation", so I wish I got that instead. Really though, what I needed was Adler's "Aristotle for Everybody" - I am reading that now and construct no impediment to its luminous flood.

Of Aristotle's works, I offer no critique; what could I say that has not been said more clearly and elegantly by reviewers more expert than I on the subject? Beyond the incredible historical and cultural import of the works, the fact that the writings of a scientist and philosopher who lived some 2300+ years ago resonate so clearly with the modern reader speaks to their brilliance--even in the cases where philosophical and scientific advances made some ideas outdated. Instead, I critique this particular volume, which in my mind has several strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths: As others have noticed, this is the best one-volume compilation of Aristotle's works. In terms of cost and convenience that makes this an attractive work. For someone interested in the full scope of Aristotle's works, this would be a nice version to have.

Weaknesses: I cannot read the original Greek to compare the translation to the original, but in English, the translation can come off as a bit dry, dated, and uninspired. For me, I also missed the lack of introductory material or other commentary on the works, which are quite difficult for the general reader. In retrospect, as I was interested in gaining in-depth exposure to some of Aristotle's "greatest hits" rather than the entire magnitude of his works, I probably would've been better off buying a smaller number of works separately. Greater cost would've been outweighed by the greater commentary which separate works could've provided. For people reading this material as part of a class, this might not be an important weakness, but it is important for readers like me attempting to gain some insight to the wisdom of Aristotle through independent study.

A version with definite pros and cons; I believe its utility depends on the intended usage and the existing familiarity with Aristotle's works of the reader. I believe this version is very good on its own merits, but again as a more general reader looking for exposure to the philosophy of Aristotle, I don't know that this was the best version for me. I am not too proud to admit that as a newcomer to Aristotle I would have enjoyed a little hand-holding as I navigated his philosophical realm for the first time; buying separate versions of his works might've been best. However, for the reader looking for a one-volume version of Aristotle's works, this is the version for you.

This in my opinion is the finest one volume collection of the works of Aristotle. I cannot offer anything novel in my review; other reviewers furnished numerous pertinent instructive descriptions. Having the material in one volume is very helpful and I too think the Oxford work isn't as rigid. I recommend it to anyone who desires the meat of Aristotle's work in a format that is inexpensive and convenient. Textual criticism may not allow one to know which texts are genuine among the extant material, but what we do have of assumed Aristotelian thought is utterly important and stunningly relevant in today's philosophical discussions.
All philosophers, epistemologists, and apologists should own this compilation and contrast it to the Oxford edition.

This is a concise singular source on Aristotle and with enough in it to understand a great deal about him. Since so much of what he had to say has been taken apart by later philosophers it is helpful to have the real "basics" for a reference.

It's approach is especially useful in comparing him to Plato. Plato's world was one of changeless things assigned for lofty contemplation and for Aristotle, as we are told in the introduction, it was a world for empirical investigation. In this volume these works are found nearly complete: The Physics, On Generation and Corruption, On the soul, the Metaphysics, the Nicomachean ethics, the Politics, and the Poetics. The contents list a Preface, Introduction and Bibliograhpy as well as chapters on, Organon, Physica, DeCaelo, De Generatione Et Corruptione, De Anima, Parva Naturalia, Historia Animalium, De Partibus, De Generatione, Metaphysica, Ethica Nicomachea, Politica, Rhetorica, and De Poetica.

I recommend the Hardcover over the paperback. I also recommend this over the multiple volume approaches to his life and thoughts. Even if you don't find the introduction to be complete it is still very useful, as an overview of all that this author felt was needed for a "Basic Works".

definitely one of the greatest philosophers of his time, aristotle's works have survived to modern times to teach us what his world was like as well his philosophy.

The book touches some very important & sensitive discussion.. I am still reading the book but the parts that I have already read were full of insight & intellectuals of Aristotle...

This is an excellent collection of Aristotle's works that is very interesting and well written.