The Origins of Aristotelian Science

186 Pages·1991·30.54 MB·English

by  Michael Ferejohn

Copyright © 1991 by Yale University.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ferejohn, Michael T., 1945-
The origins of Aristotelian science I Michael T. Ferejohn.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-300-04649-9 (alk. paper)
1. Aristotle- Contribution in theory of knowledge. 2. Aristotle-Contributions
in logic. 3. Knowledge, Theory of- History. 4. Logic, Ancient. r. Title.
B49t.K6fA7 1991
12.I',6'092.-dc2.0 90-40942.
CIP
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of
the Comminee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on
Library Resources.
1098765432
To Donna

Contents
Acknowledgments IX
Introduction
PART ONE
THE STRUCTURE OF DEMONSTRATIONS
One: Demonstration, Division, and the Syllogism 15
Two: Demonstration and Definition 38
PART TWO
THE EXPLANATORY CONTENT OF
DEMONSTRATIONS
Three: The Character of Demonstrative Premises 65
Four: Type I Pcr Se Predication 75
Five: Type 2 Per Se Predication 92
Six: Type 3 Per Accidens and Type 4 Per Se Predication [09
Seven: Demonstration and Negation 1.3-'
Notes 139
Bibliography 165
Index 169
r vii

Acknowledgments
The first systematic work on this project was begun in 1981 -82, while J
held an Andrew W. Mellon Faculty Fellowship in the Humanities at Har
vard. I am grateful to the Mellon fOtlndation and Dr. Richard M. Hunt
for thcif support during that year, and to the Harvard Philosophy De
partment for its kind hospitality. While there I benefited greatly from dis
cussions on germinal ideas of the present work with John Murdoch, Mar
tha Nussbaum, and Steven Strange. Since then L h3ve received helpful
comments and suggestions on earlier ~ersjons of variolls parts of the
book from Robert Bolton, Daniel Devereux, Michael Frede, Cynthia
Freeland, Robert McKay, Philip Rolnick, and Thomas Upton. Special
thanks are due to David Charles and James Lennox, who read :lnt! com
mented on the entire manuscript. I especially want to thank my lcachers,
John Kekes, Nelson Pike, and Gerasimos Sant:ls, for their unflagging ell
couragement and support during the difficult times, and Gregory Vbstos
for showing me by his own example the close connection between good
philosophy and good character. In the late stages of its preparntion, the
project has been facilitated by a number of Duke University Research
Council Grants, and a Junior Faculty Research Leave in fall 1987.