What is existence? How is change possible? And are there certain things that must exist for anything else to exist at all? These are among the deepest questions Aristotle pursues in The Metaphysics, one of the classical Greek foundation-stones of Western thought, translated with an introduction by Hugh Lawson-Tancred in Penguin Classics. Rejecting both the Platonic view that what we perceive is merely a pale reflection of reality and the hard-headed position that all processes are ultimately material, Aristotle argued instead that the reality or substance of things lies in their concrete forms. The seminal concepts he developed here — substance, matter and form, essence and accident, potentiality and actuality — have had a profound and enduring influence, laying the foundations for one of the central branches of Western philosophy. Hugh Lawson-Tancred’s lucid translation is accompanied by a stimulating introduction that illuminates the central themes of this supreme philosophical masterpiece. Aristotle (384–322 BC) studied at Plato’s Academy for twenty years before establishing his own school and research institute, the Lyceum. His writings, extraordinary in their range, shaped the entire course of ancient and medieval philosophy and remain the subject of lively debate among philosophers today. If you enjoyed The Metaphysics, you might like Aristotle’s The Nicomachean Ethics, also available in Penguin Classics.
ISBN 13: 9780140446197
Author: Aristotle
