Aristotle’s Ever-turning World in Physics 8: Analysis and Commentary

In Aristotle’s Ever-turning World in Physics 8 Dougal Blyth analyses, passage by passage, Aristotle’s reasoning in his explanation of cosmic movement, and provides a detailed evaluation of ancient and modern commentary on this centrally influential text in the history of ancient and medieval philosophy and science. In Physics 8 Aristotle argues for the everlastingness of the world, and explains this as deriving from a single first moved body, the sphere of the stars whose rotation around the earth is caused by an immaterial prime mover.

Blyth’s explanation of Aristotle’s individual arguments, techniques of reasoning and overall strategy in Physics 8 aims to bring understanding of his method, doctrines and achievements in natural philosophy to a new level of clarity.

Dougal Blyth (Ph.D. Northwestern, 1990) is a Senior Lecturer in Classics, University of Auckland. He has previously published articles and book chapters on Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, Aristophanes and Menander and co-edited Power and Pleasure, Virtues and Vices (Auckland 2001).