The order of nature in Aristotle's physics
Subtitle: place and the elements
By: Helen S. Lang.
Publisher: Cambridge Unviersity Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Cambridge; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 324
Subjects: Aristotle.; Science, Ancient.; Physics -- Early works to 1800.; Philosophy of nature -- Early works to 1800.
Description: In this book Helen S. Lang enters into the point of view of the ancient world to explain how they saw the world and to show what arguments were used by Aristotle to support this view. Lang demonstrates a new method for reading the texts of Aristotle by revealing a continuous line of argument running from the Physics to De Caelo. The author analyzes a group of arguments that are almost always treated in isolation from one another and reveals their elegance and coherence. She concludes by asking why these arguments remain interesting even though we now believe they are absolutely wrong and have been replaced by better ones.

The author establishes that we must rethink our approach to Aristotle's physical science and Aristotelian texts. In so doing, her book will provoke debate and stimulate new thinking among philosophers, classicists, and historians of science.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 295-307) and indexes.