Subject: Philosophy Book Title: Aristotle's First Principles
Aristotle's First Principles
Irwin, Terence
Professor of Philosophy, Cornell University
Print publication date: 1990
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: November 2003
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-19-824290-1
doi:10.1093/0198242905.001.0001
Abstract:
This book explores Aristotle’s view of philosophical methods and the merits of his conclusions. The author emphasises the systemic character of Aristotle’s philosophy by examining questions on metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy and mind and ethics. Aristotle’s reliance on dialectic as the method of philosophy appears to conflict with the metaphysical realist view of his conclusions. It is unclear how a coherent account of common beliefs can justify a metaphysical realist’s claims. The author presents Aristotle’s defence of dialectic against this basic objection, and explores the implication of his solution.