Principles and Proofs: Aristotle's Theory of Demonstrative Science

Richard D. McKirahan

Published by Princeton University Press 1992

Principles and Proofs

Aristotle's Theory of Demonstrative Science

Richard D. McKirahan

Volume 5188 in the series Princeton Legacy Library

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400887163

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Contents

About this book

By a thorough study of the Posterior Analytics and related Aristotelian texts, Richard McKirahan reconstructs Aristotle's theory of episteme--science. The Posterior Analytics contains the first extensive treatment of the nature and structure of science in the history of philosophy, and McKirahan's aim is to interpret it sympathetically, following the lead of the text, rather than imposing contemporary frameworks on it. In addition to treating the theory as a whole, the author uses textual and philological as well as philosophical material to interpret many important but difficult individual passages. A number of issues left obscure by the Aristotelian material are settled by reference to Euclid's geometrical practice in the Elements. To justify this use of Euclid, McKirahan makes a comparative analysis of fundamental features of Euclidian geometry with the corresponding elements of Aristotle's theory. Emerging from that discussion is a more precise and more complex picture of the relation between Aristotle's theory and Greek mathematics--a picture of mutual, rather than one-way, dependence.

Originally published in 1992.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1993

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Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xi
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xiii
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
I. The Motivation for the Theory of Demonstration Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	7
II. The Approach to the Principles Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	21
III. The Kinds of Principles Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	36
IV. The Subject Genus Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	50
V. The Subordinate Sciences Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	64
VI. Axioms or Common Principles Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	68
VII. Definitions, I: The Per Se Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	80
VIII. Scientific Essences Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	103
IX. Definitions, II: Form and Content Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	111
X. Existence Claims Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	122
XI. Aristotle’s Principles and Greek Mathematics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	133
XII. Aristotle’s Demonstrations and Euclid’s Elements Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	144
XIII. The Varieties of Demonstration, I: Universal Subject-Attribute Demonstrations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	164
XIV. The Varieties of Demonstration, II: Application Arguments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	177
XV. The Varieties of Demonstration, III: Demonstrations of Existence Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	188
XVI. Demonstration of Essence: Another Form of Scientific Proof? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	198
XVII. Scientific Explanation Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	209
XVIII. Our Knowledge of the Principles Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	235
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	273
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	309
Index Locorum Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	321
General Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	335