Description

• Title:
  Empedocles and the Other Physiologists in Aristotle’s Physics II 8
• Creator:
  Giardina, Giovanna R.
• Description:
  In this paper I propose to show: 1) that in Phys. II 8 Aristotle takes Empedocles as a paradigm for a theoretical position common to all philosophers who preceded him: the view that materialism implies a mechanistic explanation of natural becoming; and 2) that, since Empe­docles is regarded as a philosopher who clearly expresses the position of all mechanistic materialists, Aristotle builds his teleological arguments precisely to refute him. Indeed, Aristotle believes that refuting the argu­ments of Empedocles – the champion of mechanism – means refut­ing the mechanistic theory itself. In order to illustrate this point, I will discuss some passages from Phys. II 8, while also turning to consider the Neoplatonic commentators on Aristotle’s Physics. I will then endeav­our to explain why in 198b19 ff. Aristotle formulates the argument of rain, which has attracted so much attention from scholars of the Phys­ics: I will consider whether Aristotle believes that rain serves a purpose, contrary to what he claims with regard to meteorological phenomena in Meteorologica.
• Object availability:
  free access
• Rights:
  Prawa autorskie (c) 2018 Peitho. Examina Antiqua
• Date:
  2016.12.01
• Type:
  info:eu-repo/semantics/article;
  info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion;
  Articles;
  Artykuł naukowy
• Language:
  English
• Source:
  Peitho. Examina Antiqua; Vol. 7 No. 1 (2016); 13-24;
  Peitho. Examina Antiqua; Tom 7 Nr 1 (2016); 13-24;
  2082-7539
• Format:
  application/pdf
• Publisher:
  Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan
• Relation: http://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/peitho/article/view/8407/8280
• Subject:
  Presocratics;
  mechanism;
  physics;
  teleology;
  rainfall;
  Aristotle
• Identifier: http://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/peitho/article/view/8407
• Data provider:
  Platforma Otwartych Czasopism Naukowych UAM
• Can I use it?:
  seek permission
• Type:
  text