The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle (Cambridge Companions to Philosophy) 1st Edition

by Jonathan Barnes (Editor)

39 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0521422949

ISBN-10: 0521422949

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Aristotle is one of the greatest thinkers in the Western tradition, but also one of the most difficult. The contributors to this volume do not attempt to disguise the nature of that difficulty, but at the same time they offer a clear exposition of the central philosophical concerns in his work. Approaches and methods vary and the volume editor has not imposed any single interpretation, but has rather allowed differences of interpretation to stand.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This lively collection serves its purpose well." Ethics

"...a clear, concise, well organized, comprehensive treatment of Aristotle's philosophy." Howard J. Curzer, Canadian Philosophical Review

"The book is above all an inspring and informative guide for philosophically ambitious students of Aristotle, but even a more advanced reader finds much of interest and pleasure in it." Bryn Mawr Classical Review

""The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle is a must read for any Aristotelian scholar, but it is also beneficial to a reader with little knowledge of ancient thought. This is a great value for anyone's library." Steve W. Lamke, The Theological Educator

Book Description

The most accessible and comprehensive guide to Aristotle currently available.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; 1st edition (January 27, 1995)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 434 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521422949
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521422949
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.28 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 1.09 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #779,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #927 in History of Philosophy
- #1,226 in Philosophy History & Survey
- #1,366 in Greek & Roman Philosophy (Books)

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39 ratings

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MrEd123

I appreciate Robin Smith's work here

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2010

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I really appreciate Robin Smith's summary. I find that Barnes, who wrote several sections, comments negatively (pointing out what he thinks are flaws) in the midst of what I think should be summary. I really think he should share commentary after he shares a summary. Also, I don't find Barnes to offer a balanced view, but an overly-negative one. His work on Aristotle's Rhetoric, for example, finds all kinds of things he doesn't like, but does not acknowledge the fantastically useful stuff.

Again, I find Robin Smith's work useful and dispassionate, and I thank the cambridge companion for making me aware of him; I have since picked up his translation of Topics (Books 1 & 8) and his translation of Prior Analytics.

14 people found this helpful

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Thomas LlewellynTop Contributor: Philosophy

A Profitable Resource for Novice Aristotle Students

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2017

Aristotle is one of the great names in the Western philosophical tradition. His thought was a dominant force for ten centuries in Europe, losing its preeminent role only at the dawn of the modern era in the 17th century. Medieval thinkers called him "the master of those who know." His writings are challenging and often difficult, hence the need for helpful secondary sources. This fine collection of original essays is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students new to Aristotle, but any intelligent person with some background in philosophy will find much of value here.

A strong point of this anthology is the high quality of the essays. Jonathan Barnes, the editor, is a renowned Aristotle scholar and also the editor of The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation. In this Cambridge Companion he authors three essays, including the important chapter on metaphysics. R.J. Hankinson, our best expert on ancient philosophy of science, contributes essays on Aristotle's science and also his philosophy of science. Readers particularly interested in the latter subject will want to purchase Hankinson's authoritative work, Cause and Explanation in Ancient Greek Thought. Everson's chapter on psychology and Hutchinson's on ethics are also ones I found especially noteworthy.

Any good philosophical companion will have reader-friendly editorial adjuncts. This volume excels in this area, especially the huge bibliography. Though somewhat dated (the book was published in 1995), The 80+ pp. have over 1000 items listed. A truly valuable compendium for scholars.

For students with a desire for more advanced essays on Aristotle, I can heartily recommend The Oxford Handbook of Aristotle (ed. Christopher Shields), and my personal favorite, Essays on Aristotle's Ethics (ed. Amelie Rorty).

One person found this helpful

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William J. Romanos, III

Philosophy of Aristotle? This is the best introduction

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2008

This is the best introduction to one of the most - if not the most - important philosophers in human history.

Aristotle's body of work is extremely wide-ranging as well as dense in detail, and often extremely complex and subtle. This Cambridge Companion simplifies and explains - without the loss of fidelity to the complex and subtle and innovative nature of his teachings - the most important of his teachings.

This Cambridge Companion to Aristotle has essays by preeminent scholars in the field. The book focuses on the most important and influential of Aristotle's philosophical thinking.

It includes essays on Aristotle's logic, metaphysics, ethics, philosophy of science and science generally, and psychology, poetics, rhetoric, and politics. These are the core subjects in Aristotle's canon. It is generally believed among scholars that most all of the work of Aristotle that has survived and come down to us today, consists of copies of lecture notes that his students took at his school (known as the Lyceum). Thus, much of his "writings" - though copied for generations and then edited by translators - often seems disjointed or unnecessarily complex in terms of its clarity and organization.

If you are new to studying philosophy, I suggest you start with this Cambridge Companion or the one on Plato. If you start with the one on Aristotle, I suggest you read this Companion and then either at the same time or right after, begin reading the primary texts. You can read all the secondary and ancillary texts you want on philosophers and philosophy, but they are never a substitute for the primary texts. The primary texts are infinitely more rewarding, provided you are able to understand them - and that is where guides like this one come in hand.

To start off on some of his most readable and understandable works (yet still highly important), I suggest you start with poetics (which is about the construction of and study of drama and story (think "plays" or stories like the Illiad by Homer), and narrative structure. What we have of poetics is short, excellent, and is generally believed to be only one part of a larger teaching that has been lost to humanity. I then suggest you read Aristotle's Rhetoric and then Politics. These are easy to understand, but you will gain tremendously by re-reading them over time in greater detail. You can then move on to his Logic (which Aristotle is known as the founder of logic, he invented, or depending on your view, discovered, the tri-partite syllogism and syllogistic structure and logical argument. You can then move on to his Metaphysics, but I suggest that you read and study Plato before embarking on Aristotle's Metaphysics, as you will understand Aristotle better by first reading Plato, as Aristotle was a student of Plato, and Aristotle's Metaphysics takes into account, is a reaction to, and is an extension and modification (or overturning of most aspects- depending on your viewpoint), of Plato's metaphysics (Plato's Ideas vs. Aristotle's Universals). The Cambridge Companion to Plato is also excellent. If you are embarking on a serious study of philosophy for the first time, you may want to read Plato and the Cambridge Companion to Plato before embarking on Aristotle. You will understand Aristotle better if you understand Plato's works first. These are the two most important philosophers in Western civilization, and in my view - and depending on your viewpoint - world history and civilization.

In any event I highly recommend this Cambridge Companion to Aristotle. This is the first one I purchased and read, and I have subsequently enjoyed and found extremely useful other Cambridge Companions for other philosophers.

16 people found this helpful

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Michael Attanasi

Would Recommend

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2014

This book is a great companion to reading Aristotle. Aristotle is immensely difficult to read, and takes a very long time. I would recommend anybody who attempts Aristotle to read not only this companion, but also read other sources as well. Most of the chapters are very illuminating, most notably the section on Aristotle's Politics by C C W Taylor. The section on Ethics only reviews what Aristotle said in his Nicomachean and Eudemian Ethics without going into too much detail or criticism, but is still valuable still. I disliked Jonathan Barnes' chapters, which is a shame because he wrote on the Metaphysics. Although his sections are illuminating and he offers many criticisms of Aristotle's ideas (always welcome in a philosophy book), his criticisms are often silly or weak and easily countered, which detracts from the experience of reading a mind as great as Aristotle. I'm sure much of it had to do with space limitations while writing these sections (in some places he just says that Aristotle was wrong without actually saying why), some of his criticisms seemed to be unnecessary, out of place, or quibbling.

Overall, a great book. I just wish each section was longer and able to be developed more fully. They certainly read fast and seem rushed.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Jeanne

Special present

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2020

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Ideal Christmas gift for the man who has got everything

Sigurdur Helgi

Good book and easy to read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2017

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Oh I love this one! Bought it in 2011 and read it all the way through. Now, I am revisiting a certain chapter(on Aristotle's politics)and it is very helpful. Recommend it. It's easy to understand and accessible.

Robert Carey

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2014

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Excellent

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Geoffrey Johnson

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2016

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excellent

TOMASZ MAMELKA

very good!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2014

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Just one word: very good!!!

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The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle (Cambridge Companions to Philosophy) 1st Edition

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