Aristotle: Metaphysics Theta: Translated with an Introduction and Commentary (Clarendon Aristotle Series)

332 Pages·2006·1.29 MB·english

by  Stephen Makin

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A R I S T O T L E
Metaphysics
(cid:3)
Book
Translated
withanIntroduction
andCommentary
by
STEPHEN MAKIN
CLARENDON PRESS·OXFORD
2006
1
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PREFACE
Thisbookhasbeenquitesometimeinthewriting,andmanypeople
haveprovidedcommentsandassistanceovertheyears.Iwouldlike
to thank them all. Robert Wardy has given me detailed comments
andinvaluableadviceoneveryaspectoftheproject.Thebookowes
agreatdealtohim.LindsayJudsonhasreadnumerousdrafts,and
his input has made this a better contribution to the Clarendon
Aristotleseriesthanitwouldotherwisehavebeen.Ihavebenefited
greatly from the comments of Tad Brennan, Sarah Broadie, Myles
Burnyeat, Nick Denyer, Kit Fine, Doug Hutchinson, Sean Kelsey,
Stephen Menn, David Sedley and Charlotte Witt. I am extremely
gratefultoallthesefriendsandcolleagues.
Material from this book has been presented to the Aristotelian
Society Joint Session, and to seminars at Cambridge, Nottingham
and Sheffield. Many thanks for the questions and contributions of
thoseaudiences.IwouldalsoliketothankthestudentsatSheffield
Universitywhohaveattendedandcontributedtolecturecourseson
MetaphysicsΘ.
I could not have finished this book without the support of the
Philosophy Department at Sheffield University, who generously
provided more than one period of research leave. I am grateful to
them,andtotheAHRBforaResearchLeaveaward.
I have received much help from Oxford University Press, and I
would like to thank especially Jenni Craig, Andrew Hawkey, Peter
MomtchiloffandHilaryWalford.
Ispenttheyear2003onstudyleave,fundedbytheUniversityof
Sheffield and by the AHRB. During that year I thoroughly revised
earlier partial drafts of the book, and I wrote material for those
chapters which were then undrafted. By the end of 2003 I had my
first complete version. In December 2003 my father passed away.
Hewasafineperson.Hegavemehisunconditionalandunstinting
support throughout my life. This book is for him, in thanks for
everythingheeverdidforme.
vii
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION xi
TRANSLATION 1
COMMENTARY
Chapter1 17
Chapter2 37
Chapter3 60
Chapter4 82
Chapter5 97
Chapter6 128
Chapter7 155
Chapter8 181
Chapter9 221
Chapter10 247
TEXTUAL NOTES 271
REFERENCES 274
INDEX LOCORUM 281
GENERAL INDEX 287
ix