Aristotle - Aristotle

Inthis extensively revised new edition of his excellent guidebook, Christopher Shields introduces the whole of Aristotle's philosophy, showing how his powerful conception of human nature shaped much of his thinking on the nature of the soul and the mind, ethics, politics, and the arts.

Beginning with a brief biography, Shields carefully explains the fundamental elements of Aristotle's thought: his explanatory framework, his philosophical methodology, and his four-causal explanatory scheme. Subsequently he discusses Aristotle's metaphysics, the theory of categories, logical theory, and his conception of the human being as a composite of soul and body.

The last part concentrates on Aristotle's value theory as applied to ethics and politics, and assesses his approach to happiness, virtue, and the best life for human beings, before turning to a consideration of Aristotle's theory of rhetoric and the arts, with a special focus on his perennially controversial treatment of tragedy.

This second edition includes an expanded discussion of Aristotle's method, and new sections on key issues in perception, thought, akrasia, and mimesis. It concludes with an expanded assessment of Aristotle's legacy, sketching currently emerging Neo-Aristotelian movements in metaphysics and virtue ethics.

Christopher Shields is Professor of Classical Philosophy at the University of Oxford and Tutorial Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall. His books include Order in Multiplicity: Homonymy in the Philosophy of Aristotle (Oxford, 1999), Ancient Philosophy: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge, 2011) and (with Robert Pasnau) The Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas (Westword, 2003). He served as editor of The Blackwell Guide to Ancient Philosophy (Blackwell, 2002) and The Oxford Handbook on Aristotle (Oxford, 2012).

Edited by Brian Leiter

University of Chicago

Routledge Philosophers is a major series of introductions to the great Western philosophers. Each book places a major philosopher or thinker in historical context, explains and assesses their key arguments, and considers their legacy. Additional features include a chronology of major dates and events, chapter summaries, annotated suggestions for further reading and a glossary of technical terms.

An ideal starting point for those new to philosophy, they are also essential reading for those interested in the subject at any level.

Hobbes
A P Martinich

Leibniz
Nicholas Jolley

Locke
E J Lowe

Hegel
Frederick Beiser

Rousseau
Nicholas Dent

Schopenhauer
Julian Young

Freud
Jonathan Lear

Kant
Paul Guyer

Darwin
Tim Lewens

Aristotle, second edition
Christopher Shields

Rawls
Samuel Freeman

Spinoza
Michael Della Rocca

Merleau-Ponty
Taylor Carman

Russell
Gregory Landini

Wittgenstein
William Child

Heidegger
John Richardson

Adorno
Brian O'Connor

Husserl, second edition
David Woodruff Smith

Forthcoming:

Hume
Don Garrett

Peirce
Albert Atkin

Smith
Eric Schliesser

Kant, second edition
Paul Guyer

Freud, second edition
Jonathan Lear

Einstein
Thomas Ryckman and Arthur Fine

Habermas
Kenneth Baynes

Mill
Daniel Jacobson

Plato
Constance Meinwald

Dewey
Steven Fesmire

Nietzsche
Maudemarie Clark

Berkeley
Lisa Downing and David Hilbert

Praise for the first edition:

This delightful and fully engaging book, written in a sparkling style and abounding in entertaining examples, is designed for those who are new to Aristotle and want to approach him from a contemporary philosophical standpoint. The book fulfils these goals very well and thereby offers a prime alternative to standard introductions to Aristotle.

Philosophical Review

This volume would serve as an excellent survey for undergraduate or graduate students, presenting an accessible and clear overview of Aristotle's major philosophical projects it delivers clear discussions of many of Aristotle's key philosophical ideas, captures much of what is lively and exciting about Aristotle's thought, and serves as an excellent entry point to more serious study of Aristotle's philosophy.

Ian Halim, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Christopher Shields book introduces the philosophy of Aristotle in a comprehensive, informative and perspicuously argued way that engages with the philosopher's arguments and views with critical surety and acuity.'

Vasilis Politis, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

An impressive and first-rate overview of Aristotle's philosophy. I can't think of a better introduction.

Richard Kraut, Northwestern University, USA

Christopher Shields

Second edition

Second edition published 2014
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

and by Routledge
711 Third Ave., New York City, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an
informa business

2007, 2014 Christopher Shields

The right of Christopher Shields to be identified as author of this book has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

First edition published by Routledge 2007

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Shields, Christopher John.
Aristotle / by Christopher Shields. -- Second edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Aristotle. I. Title.
B485.S44 2013
185--dc23
2013021013

ISBN: 978-0-415-62248-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-62249-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-86358-0 (ebk)

Typeset in Joanna and DINOT
by Taylor & Francis Books

Dedicated with gratitude to Terence Irwin

Contents

In view of the intended audience of this book, I have been keen to receive feedback from students and other non-specialists approaching Aristotle's philosophy for the first time. I am accordingly very grateful to the undergraduate students in Oxford who read all or part of the manuscript in conjunction with their courses of study. Their reactions and recommendations have proven most instructive. The comments of one of these students in particular proved especially helpful: Thomas Ainsworth read the entire manuscript of the first edition with uncommon insight and rigour, and he has since offered recommendations for substantive improvements to the second edition. His perceptive and helpful recommendations have improved this book considerably.