John Philoponus on Physical Place
Ioannis Papachristou
First philosophical monograph exclusively focusing on John Philoponus’ theory of place and the void.
This book examines the place of physical bodies, a major topic of natural philosophy that has occupied philosophers since antiquity. Aristotle’s conceptions of place (topos) and the void (kenon), as expounded in the Physics, were systematically repudiated by John Philoponus (ca. 485-570) in his philosophical commentary on that work. The primary philosophical concern of the present study is the in-depth investigation of the concept of place established by Philoponus, putting forward the claim that the latter offers satisfactory solutions to problems raised by Aristotle and the Aristotelian tradition regarding the nature of place. Philoponus’ account proposes a specific physical model of how physical bodies exist and move in place, and regards place as an intrinsic reality of the physical cosmos. Due to exactly this model, his account may be considered as strictly pertaining to the study of physics, thereby constituting a remarkable episode in the history of philosophy and science.
This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).
Acknowledgments
Preface
Chapter 1. Form, Method and Structure of the Physics Commentary
1.1
The
form of the Physics commentary
1.2
A note on Vitelli’s edition
1.3
The form of the commentary and Philoponus’ philosophical contributions
1.4
Levels of interpretation
1.5
Dividing Aristotle’s Physics into lectures
1.6
Introduction to the digressions
1.7
The
argument of the digressions
1.8
A note on Philoponus’ sources and targets
in the digressions
Chapter 2. Place as Extension: Problems and Solutions
2.1
Aristotle’s rejection of place
as extension
2.2
Themistius’ exegesis of Aristotle’s argument
2.3
Philoponus’ exegesis of Aristotle’s argument
2.4
Philoponus refuting the infinity
of places
2.5
Philoponus refuting changing and coinciding places
Chapter 3. The Ontology of Place According to Philoponus
3.1
Three-dimensionality of place
3.2
Place
as measure
3.3
Place
and the ‘violation’ of nature
3.4
The
empty universe
3.5
Place, substance, qualities and quantity
Chapter 4. Philoponus on Void as Place
4.1
The
concept of plērōsis
4.2
The
void is place
4.3
Motion through
void and motion
through a corporeal medium
4.4
Motion of bodies in Philoponus’ cosmological system
4.5
Philoponus on physical place
Chapter 5. Philoponus against Aristotle and the Peripatetic Tradition
5.1
Aristotle’s definition of place
5.2
The equality
between place and the bodies
in it
5.3
The immobility of place
5.4
Motion through
surfaces
5.5
The place
of the heavens
Epilogue
Bibliography
Texts
Translations
Secondary literature
Index Locorum
Index Nominum
Format: Monograph - hardback
Size: 234 × 156 × 14 mm
193 pages
ISBN: 9789462702745
Publication: June 16, 2021
Series: Ancient and Medieval Philosophy - Series 1 60
Languages: English
Stock item number: 142616
Maria Varlamova, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2022.06.24