Aspasius: The Earliest Extant Commentary on Aristotle's Ethics / Edition 1

by Antonina Alberti, Robert W. Sharples

Overview

This book comprises essays on the nature of Aspasius’ commentary, his interpretation of Aristotle, and his own place in the history of thought. The contributions are in English or Italian.

Aspasius’ commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics is the earliest ancient commentary on Aristotle of which extensive parts survive in their original form. It is important both for the history of commentary as a genre and for the history of philosophical thought in the first two centuries A.D.; it is also still valuable as what its author intended it to be, an aid in interpreting the Ethics. All three aspects are explored by the essays.

The book is not formally a commentary on Aspasius’ commentary; but between them the essays consider the interpretation of numerous problematic or significant passages. Full indices will enable readers quickly to locate discussion of particular parts of Aspasius’ work. This volume of essays will form a natural complement to the first ever translation of Aspasius’ commentary into any modern language, currently in preparation by Paul Mercken.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783110160819
Publisher:	De Gruyter
Publication date:	01/08/1999
Series:	Peripatoi , #17
Edition description:	Reprint 2013
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.06(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

Editorial Reviews

Eight essays, two in Italian, from an August 1996 summer school in Florence explore the most significant and original aspects of Aspasius' Commentary and draw attention to an unjustly forgotten Aristotelian commentator who contributed interesting philosophical insights and influenced the thought of Alexander of Aprodisias and other philosophers of late antiquity. The consider such aspects as lemmatology, eudaimonia, emotion, perfect and imperfect values, akrasia, and focal meaning. The collection anticipates a translate of the Commentaries expected soon from the Cornell University Press. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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