In the following essay, McCabe defends the structure and the content of Rhetoric, arguing that both support Aristotle's view that rhetoric is indeed an art and that it can be practiced in a legitimate manner.

In the following essay, Tress defends Aristotle's Generation of Animals against comments voiced by feminist critics, stressing that Aristotle observes that both male and female are the "principles of generation." Tress further maintains that the apparent inequality of the sexes in Aristotle's theories stems not from misogynistic or sexist views, but from specific philosophical problems that Aristotle treats.

In the following essay, Rorty reviews what he describes as a significant difficulty in the reading of Metaphysics, namely that it appears to lack unity and a conclusion. Rorty locates the primary source of the substance-form puzzle in Book Z, and argues that by understanding Aristotle's claim that genus is matter, a claim not often taken seriously, certain difficulties in Book Z are eliminated.

In the following essay, Sachs introduces Aristotle's Physics by discussing its relevance to modern physics, by exploring the modern resistance to Aristotle's philosophic examination of physics, and by reviewing the content of the books of Physics. Sachs notes that the central themes of Physics include nature, cause, and motion.

In the following essay, Chroust argues that, based on the extant fragments of and references to Aristotle's Gryllus, the work appears to be an attack on certain types of rhetoric, as well as a defense of "proper" rhetoric, and is similar in content to passages in Plato's Gorgias.

In the following essay, Bolotin explores the teleological nature of Aristotle's Physics, examining in particular Aristotle's notion of final causality. Bolotin highlights some of the difficulties within Aristotle's arguments regarding natural purpose.

In the following essay, originally written in 1965, Hardie highlights the ambiguity of Aristotle's doctrine of the final good, noting that Aristotle represents the final good as a dominant end, but that he also seems to suggest its inclusive nature. Hardie concludes that the doctrine of the final good centers on man's power to reflect on his abilities and desires and to choose a satisfactory course in life.

In the following essay, originally delivered as a lecture in 1957, Ross traces the contributions of various critics toward understanding the development of Aristotle's doctrines. Ross notes some of the difficulties in the sketchy chronology outlined by some critics, and discusses in particular Aristotle's plan for Politics as developed and articulated in Ethics. He also argues that Aristotle's concept of the "unmoved first mover" appeared in successive stages through a nu...

In the following essay, Ferejohn traces Aristotle's effort to provide an accurate account of a specific kind of necessary truth which pertains to the "'definitional' features "of sentences. Ferejohn argues that Aristotle's work in this field led him to the development of the doctrine of logical, or definitional, priority—a doctrine which Aristotle later applied as an analytical tool in other types of philosophical endeavors.

In the following essay, Lange argues that while Aristotle's conception of woman as a "privation of man" may be "unacceptable," Aristotle does, however, provide a thorough explanation of this notion within the context of his own thought and theories.

In the following essay, Arnhart maintains that Aristotle uses the concept of enthymeme (a logical argument, or syllogism, in which one of two conclusion-supporting premises is unexpressed) to defend the legitimacy of rhetorical discourse and to distinguish rhetoric from both science and sophistry.

In the following essay, Devereux responds to critics who have maintained that Aristotle's doctrine of the good is either dominant or inclusive, and who have noted that inconsistencies resulting from characterizing the good in this manner are apparent in the doctrine. Devereux asserts that neither view coincides with Aristotle's doctrine of the good and he suggests that Aristotle's ideas need not be understood as inconsistent.

In the following essay, Sellars reviews the nature of substance, form, and matter as discussed by Aristotle, noting ways in which Categories, particularly statements regarding the theory of predication, can help one understand the concepts expressed in Metaphysics.

In the following essay, Edel reviews Aristotle's method of philosophical analysis, noting its strengths and weaknesses. Edel states that Aristotle's "mode of inquiry" is characterized by a common-sense attitude, by pluralistic contextualism (that is, the notion that an idea must be understood within a specific, rather than universal, context), and by his treatment of the world as possessing a single order of nature.

In the following essay, Lloyd surveys the sources and types of empirical data Aristotle used in developing his biological treatises. Lloyd notes that while Aristotle does not always adhere to his methodology, he at least states his methodological principles. In conclusion, Lloyd emphasizes that despite the limitations of Aristotle's work, one should not undervalue the vast scope of his achievements in the area of biological inquiry.

In the following essay' Rees studies the relationship between Aristotle's conception of the soul and Plato's views on moral psychology. Rees stresses that the three works by Aristotle which discuss the nature of the soul (Eudemus, Protrepticus, and De Philosophia) should not be analyzed as exhibiting the development of Aristotle's views on the soul, since they focus on distinct aspects of the soul.

In the following excerpt, Mure surveys Aristotle's Politics, asserting that Aristotle criticizes and completes the "broad outline of Platonic theory." Mure notes Aristotle's views on the role of the state, classes, and citizenship, and comments on the similarities and differences between Aristotle's and Plato's political philosophies.

Aristotle's major works are typically grouped into the following categories: primary philosophy, practical science, logic, natural philosophy, rhetoric, and poetics. (The works on rhetoric and poetics are sometimes classified as practical science.) Such rubrics may seem a bit confusing to modern students of Aristotle; what Aristotle referred to as "practical science" includes his writings on ethics and politics (works we might think of as simply "...

Born in the Ionian colony of Stagira in Macedonia, Aristotle lost his parents at an early age. Little is known about them, but scholars have recorded that his father, Nicomachus, served as the court physician to the King of Macedon. When Aristotle was seventeen, his guardian sent him to study in Athens, under Plato. Aristotle spent twenty years at the Academy and left after Plato's death in 347 B.C. After a period of travel, Aristotle married Pythias, with whom he had a daughter and probably a son, N...

Aristotle wrote on a multitude of topics including metaphysics, biology, psychology, logic, and physics. While earlier and contemporary philosophers are believed to have influenced Aristotle's views, he is credited with systematizing entire fields of ideas and with providing the methodology for future philosophic and scientific studies.