56 pages • 1 hour read
Metaphysics
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Book Brief
365
Book • Nonfiction
Ancient Greece • 4th Century BCE
Green Lion Press
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Metaphysics by Aristotle delves into the intricacies of existence, reality, and the nature of being, addressing causation, form, matter, the existence of mathematical objects, and the concept of God as a prime mover. Divided into 14 books, it covers Aristotle's First Philosophy, exploring the causes of things, the principle of contradiction, definitions of key philosophical terms, and the relationship between potentiality and actuality.
Informative
Contemplative
Mysterious
Challenging
Dark
Reviews & Readership
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Review Roundup
Aristotle's Metaphysics is widely praised for its profound exploration of being, substance, and reality, though it is often critiqued for its dense and complex prose. Scholars appreciate its foundational influence on Western philosophy, while noting that its intricate arguments can be challenging for contemporary readers. Overall, it remains a seminal yet demanding work.
Who Should Read Metaphysics?
Readers drawn to Metaphysics by Aristotle typically appreciate deep philosophical inquiry, abstract thinking, and the foundational roots of Western philosophy. They likely enjoy works like Plato's Republic and Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, seeking profound understanding of existence and reality.
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Plato
Plato
Aristotle's mentor, whose theories of transcendent Forms significantly influence Aristotle but also present a point of critique, particularly regarding the existence and understanding of abstract versus material entities.
Socrates
Socrates
An influential figure whose method of dialectical inquiry and focus on ethical and philosophical issues laid the groundwork for later classical philosophy and impacted Aristotle's analytical style.
Hugh Lawson-Tancred
Hugh Lawson-Tancred
A translator whose work makes Aristotle's complex texts more accessible to modern readers by providing insightful commentary and contextual understanding.
Aristotle's Metaphysics is believed to have been compiled and edited posthumously by his students, which might explain the occasionally disjointed nature of the text.
The title Metaphysics was not given by Aristotle himself; it was coined by early scholars who placed these works after Physics in terms of study sequence, effectively meaning "after the physics."
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Metaphysics introduces the concept of "being qua being," or the study of being in the most abstract sense, which greatly influenced subsequent philosophical thought throughout history.
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365
Book • Nonfiction
Ancient Greece • 4th Century BCE
Green Lion Press
Adult
18+ years
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