(The Self-Being of the World. Philoponus’ Critique of Aristotle’s Cosmology)

Abstract: Philoponus’ critical commentary on Aristotle’s treatise on nature considers the idea of eternal world seminal not only in Aristotle’s explanation of nature, but also in ancient Greek philosophical thought. The study opens the problem of the motivation in and nature of Aristotle’s treatises themselves. It shows that Philoponus, despite his attempts to stay very precise and detailed in reading Aristotle’s text, misses the whole question of the nature of the treatise, even though his critique is not motivated primarily theologically. We believe that to declare the very self-being of the world points to the very own subject of Aristotle’s Physics and the significance of setting the heavens apart in its own-being. Finally, we test this frame of thinking as a source of possible answers to some of Philoponus’ most noted critical reservations against Aristotle’s conception.

Authors: Mitterpach, Klement

DOI: 10.17846/CL.2017.10.1.55-65

Publication order reference: Mgr. Klement Mitterpach, PhD.; Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Arts, Department of Philosophy, Hodžova 1, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Source: Konštatínove listy, 2017, vol.: 10, issue: 1, pages: 55-65 (PDF file)

Key words: ARISTOTLE, PHILOPONUS, SELF-BEING, WORLD, PHYSICS, HEAVENS, MOTION

Language: SLOVAK