Alexander of Aphrodisias
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Peripatetics (posthumously)Alexandrists |
Alexander of Aphrodisias (Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Ἀφροδισιεύς; fl. 200 AD) was a Peripatetic philosopher and the most celebrated of the Ancient Greek commentators on the writings of Aristotle. He was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria and lived and taught in Athens at the beginning of the 3rd century, where he held a position as head of the Peripatetic school. He wrote many commentaries on the works of Aristotle, extant are those on the Prior Analytics, Topics, Meteorology, Sense and Sensibilia, and Metaphysics. Several original treatises also survive, and include a work On Fate, in which he argues against the Stoic doctrine of necessity; and one On the Soul. His commentaries on Aristotle were considered so useful that he was styled, by way of pre-eminence, "the commentator" (ὁ ἐξηγητής).
Life and career
Alexander was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria (present-day Turkey)[1] and came to Athens towards the end of the 2nd century. He was a student of the two Stoic,[2] or possibly Peripatetic, philosophers Sosigenes[3] and Herminus,[4] and perhaps of Aristotle of Mytilene.[5] At Athens he became head of the Peripatetic school and lectured on Peripatetic philosophy. Alexander's dedication of On Fate to Septimius Severus and Caracalla, in gratitude for his position at Athens, indicates a date between 198 and 209. A recently published inscription from Aphrodisias confirms that he was head of one of the Schools at Athens and gives his full name as Titus Aurelius Alexander.[1] His full nomenclature shows that his grandfather or other ancestor was probably given Roman citizenship by the emperor Antoninus Pius, while proconsul of Asia. The inscription honours his father, also called Alexander and also a philosopher. This fact makes it plausible that some of the suspect works that form part of Alexander's corpus should be ascribed to his father.[6]
Commentaries
Alexander composed several
Original treatises
There are also several extant original writings by Alexander. These include: On the Soul, Problems and Solutions, Ethical Problems, On Fate, and On Mixture and Growth.
On the Soul (De anima) is a treatise on the
Problems and Solutions (Quaestiones) consists of three books which, although termed "problems and solutions of physical questions," treat of subjects which are not all physical, and are not all problems.[17] Among the sixty-nine items in these three books, twenty-four deal with physics, seventeen with psychology, eleven with logic and metaphysics, and six with questions of fate and providence.[17] It is unlikely that Alexander wrote all of the Quaestiones, some may be Alexander's own explanations, while others may be exercises by his students.[18]
Ethical Problems was traditionally counted as the fourth book of the Quaestiones.[17] The work is a discussion of ethical issues based on Aristotle, and contains responses to questions and problems deriving from Alexander's school.[19] It is likely that the work was not written by Alexander himself, but rather by his pupils on the basis of debates involving Alexander.[19]
On Fate is a treatise in which Alexander argues against the Stoic doctrine of necessity.[7] In On Fate Alexander denied three things - necessity (ἀνάγκη), the foreknowledge of fated events that was part of the Stoic identification of God and Nature, and determinism in the sense of a sequence of causes that was laid down beforehand (προκαταβεβλημένα αἴτια) or predetermined by antecedents (προηγούμενα αἴτια). He defended a view of moral responsibility we would call libertarianism today.[20]
On Mixture and Growth discusses the topic of mixture of physical bodies.[21] It is both an extended discussion (and polemic) on Stoic physics, and an exposition of Aristotelian thought on this theme.[21]
On the Principles of the Universe is preserved in Arabic translation. This treatise is not mentioned in surviving Greek sources, but it enjoyed great popularity in the Muslim world, and a large number of copies have survived.[22] The main purpose of this work is to give a general account of Aristotelian cosmology and metaphysics, but it also has a polemical tone, and it may be directed at rival views within the Peripatetic school.[23] Alexander was concerned with filling the gaps of the Aristotelian system and smoothing out its inconsistencies, while also presenting a unified picture of the world, both physical and ethical.[24] The topics dealt with are the nature of the heavenly motions and the relationship between the unchangeable celestial realm and the sublunar world of generation and decay.[24] His principal sources are the Physics (book 7), Metaphysics (book 12), and the Pseudo-Aristotelian On the Universe.[24]
On Providence survives in two Arabic versions.
Influence
By the 6th century Alexander's commentaries on Aristotle were considered so useful that he was referred to as "the commentator" (ὁ ἐξηγητής).
In 1210, the Church Council of Paris issued
In the early
.Alexander's band, an optical phenomenon, is named after him.
Modern editions
Several of Alexander's works were published in the
See also
- Alexander's band - an optical phenomenon associated with rainbows
- Free will in antiquity
Notes
- ^ ISSN 0076-0730, v.47 (2004) pp. 79-81
- ^ J.P. Lynch, Aristotle's School, Berkeley, 1972, p. 215. See Sosigenes the Peripatetic.
- Philoponus, Comm. in Arist. Anal. Pr., p. 126.20-23 Wallies.
- ^ Simplicius, Comm. in Arist. de Caelo, p. 430.32 Heiberg, quoting Alexander: Ἑρμίνου δέ...ἤκουσα, καθὰ ἦν καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ἀσπασίου φερόμενον, "I heard from Herminus, as was said among Aspasius' students..."
- ^ Pierre Thillet, in his 1984 Budé edition of On Fate, has argued against Moraux's identification (Der Aristotelismus im I. und II. Jahrhundert n. Chr., vol. 2, 1984) of Aristotle of Mytilene as Alexander's teacher, pointing out that the text that has been taken to mean this (On Fate, mantissa, p. 110.4 Bruns, Ἤκουσα...παρὰ Ἀριστοτέλους) could refer instead to Alexander's learning from the texts of Aristotle the Stagirite. See R.W. Sharples, "Review: Alexander of Aphrodisias, on Fate", Classical Review, n.s., 36 (1986), p. 33. Cyril of Alexandria, Against Julian 2.38, may name Aristocles of Messene, but the text edited by Burguière and Évieux (Sources Chrétiennes 322, 1985) reads Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Ἀριστοτέλους μαθητὴς.
- ^ R. Sharples, 'Implications of the new Alexander of Aphrodisias inscription', in Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies 48 (2005) pp. 47-56.
- ^ a b c d e f g h public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Alexander of Aphrodisias". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 566. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ a b c Donald J. Zeyl, Daniel Devereux, Phillip Mitsis, (1997), Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy, page 20.
- ^ a b William W. Fortenbaugh, R. W. Sharples, (2005), Theophrastus of Eresus, sources for his life, writings, thought and Influence, page 22. BRILL
- ^ Dunham, William. Journey through Genius, Penguin, 1991
- ^ "Text reveals more ancient secrets". BBC News. 2007-04-26.
- ^ Charles Genequand, (2001), Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos. BRILL
- ^ N. Rescher, M. E. Marmura, (1965), The Refutation by Alexander of Aphrodisias of Galen's Treatise on the Theory of Motion. Islamic Research Institute
- ^ Gerd Van Riel, 2010, Ancient Perspectives on Aristotle's de Anima, page 174. Leuven University Press
- ^ a b Robert B. Todd, (1976), Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with Preliminary Essays, Text, Translation and Commentary, page 18. BRILL
- ^ "The two books of the De Anima differ markedly in form and content, and they were not originally a single work. Book I is generally recognized as authentic. Book II is almost certainly not by Alexander of Aphrodisias in its present form, though much of the material may be his or from his school." Cranz, F. Edward (1960). "Alexander Aphrodisiensis" (PDF). Catalogus Translationum et Commentariorum. 1: 84. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ a b c Robert B. Todd, (1976), Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with Preliminary Essays, Text, Translation and Commentary, page 19. BRILL
- ^ R. W. Sharples, 1992, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Quaestiones 1.1-2.15, pages 3-4. Duckworth.
- ^ a b Miira Tuominen, (2009), The ancient commentators on Plato and Aristotle, page 237. University of California Press
- ^ Alexander of Aphrodisias
- ^ a b Robert B. Todd, (1976), Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with Preliminary Essays, Text, Translation and Commentary, page ix. BRILL
- ^ Charles Genequand, (2001), Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos, page 1. BRILL
- ^ Charles Genequand, (2001), Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos, page 4. BRILL
- ^ a b c Charles Genequand, (2001), Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos, page 6. BRILL
- ^ a b c Robert W. Sharples, "The Peripatetic school", in David Furley (editor), (2003), From Aristotle to Augustine, pages 159-160. Routledge
- ^ Cf. Simplicius, in Phys. 707, 33; 1170, 13; 1176, 32; Philoponus, in An. Pr. 126, 21; Olympiodorus, in Meteor. 263, 21. But see Jonathan Barnes et al., (1991), Alexander of Aphrodisias, On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.1-7, page 4, who argue: "In all these texts Alexander is indeed referred to by phrases such as 'the commentator' or 'Aristotle's commentator'; but these phrases are not honorific titles - they are ordinary referring expressions. If, at the end of a book review, you read 'The author deserves our thanks', you will rightly take this for praise - but you will not think that the author has been honoured as The Author par excellence."
- ^ G. Théry, Autour du décret de 1210: II, Alexandre d'Aphrodise. Aperçu sur l'influence de sa noétique, Kain, Belgium, 1926, pp. 7 ff.
Bibliography
Translations
- M. Bergeron, Dufour (trans., comm.), 2009. De l’Âme. Textes & Commentaires. . Paris: Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin, 2008. 416 p. ISBN 2-7116-1973-7
- R. W. Sharples, 1990, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Ethical Problems. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2241-2
- W. E. Dooley, 1989, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 1. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2243-9
- W. E. Dooley, A. Madigan, 1992, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 2-3. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2373-7
- A. Madigan, 1993, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 4. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2482-2
- W. Dooley, 1993, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 5. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2483-0
- E. Lewis, 1996, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Meteorology 4. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2684-1
- E. Gannagé, 2005, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On Coming-to-Be and Perishing 2.2-5. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-3303-1
- A. Towey, 2000, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On Sense Perception. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2899-2
- V. Caston, 2011, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On the Soul. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-3923-4
- J. Barnes, S. Bobzien, K. Flannery, K. Ierodiakonou, 1991, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.1-7. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2347-8
- I. Mueller, J. Gould, 1999, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.8-13. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2855-0
- I. Mueller, J. Gould, 1999, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.14-22. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2876-3
- I. Mueller, 2006, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.23-31. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-3407-0
- I. Mueller, 2006, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.32-46. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-3408-9
- J. M. Van Ophuijsen, 2000, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Topics 1. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2853-4
- R. W. Sharples, 1983, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Fate. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-1739-7
- R. W. Sharples, 1992, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Quaestiones 1.1-2.15. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2372-9
- R. W. Sharples, 1994, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Quaestiones 2.16-3.15. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-2615-9
- R. W. Sharples, 2004, Alexander of Aphrodisias: Supplement to On the Soul. Duckworth. ISBN 0-7156-3236-1
- Charles Genequand, 2001, Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos. Brill. ISBN 90-04-11963-9
Studies
- Fazzo, Silvia. Aporia e sistema. La materia, la forma e il divino nelle Quaestiones di Alessandro di Afrodisia, Pisa: ETS, 2002. ISBN 88-467-0439-8
- Flannery, Kevin L. Ways into the Logic of Alexander of Aphrodisias, Leiden: Brill, 1995. ISBN 90-04-09998-0
- Gili, Luca. La sillogistica di Alessandro di Afrodisia. Sillogistica categorica e sillogistica modale nel commento agli "Analitici Primi" di Aristotele, Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 2011. ISBN 978-3-487-14614-0
- Merlan, Philip (1970). "Alexander of Aphrodisias". ISBN 0-684-10114-9.
- Kessler, Eckhart, Alexander of Aphrodisias and his Doctrine of the Soul. 1400 years of lasting significance, Leiden: Brill 2012
- Moraux, Paul. Der Aristotelismus bei den Griechen, Von Andronikos bis Alexander von Aphrodisias, III: Alexander von Aphrodisias, Berlin: Walter Gruyter, 2001.
- Rescher, Nicholas & Marmura, Michael E., The Refutation by Alexander of Aphrodisias of Galen's Treatise on the Theory of Motion, Islamabad: Islamic Research Institute, 1965. ISBN 0-19-636065-X
- Todd, Robert B., 'Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic Physics. A Study of the "De Mixtione" with Preliminary Essays, Text, Translation and Commentary, Leiden: Brill, 1976. ISBN 90-04-04402-7
External links
- Frede, Dorothea; Martijn, Marije. "Alexander of Aphrodisias". In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
- Alexander on Information Philosopher
- Online Greek texts:
- Scripta minora, ed. Bruns
- Aristotelian commentaries: Metaphysics, Prior Analytics I, Topics, De sensu and Meteorology, In Aristotelis Metaphysica commentaria , Miscellanea