Themistius: On Aristotle On the Soul
Themistius: On Aristotle On the Soul by Robert B Todd, published by Bristol Classical Press in January 1996, offers a scholarly examination of Themistius’ philosophical contributions in the context of Aristotle’s work. This edition spans 256 pages and is presented in English. The book focuses on Themistius’ paraphrase of Aristotle’s On the Soul, which serves as a clear and independent restatement of Aristotle’s text, aiming to make it accessible as an elementary exegesis.
Readers will find that Themistius not only paraphrases Aristotle but also engages with significant philosophical issues, providing insights into various commentaries, including those of Porphyry and other notable philosophers. This work is recognized as the first extant commentary on Aristotle’s On the Soul from antiquity and represents a critical interpretation of Aristotle’s theory of the intellect, which has been a topic of debate throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The text remains relevant for those interested in the fields of ancient and classical literature, philosophy, and the history of criticism.
Official synopsis Publisher
Themistius ran his philosophical school in Constantinople in the middle of the fourth century A.D. His paraphrases of Aristotle’s writings are unlike the elaborate commentaries produced by Alexander of Aphrodisias, or the later Neoplatonists Simplicius and Philoponus. His aim was to provide a clear and independent restatement of Aristotle’s text which would be accessible as an elementary exegesis. But he also discusses important philosophical problems, reports and disagrees with other commentaries including the lost commentary of Porphyry, and offers interpretations of Plato.
Themistius’ paraphrase of Aristotle’s On the Soul is his most important and influential work. It is also the first extant commentary on this work of Aristotle to survive from antiquity. A rival to that of Alexander of Aphrodisias, it represents one of the main interpretations of Aristotle’s theory of the intellect, which was debated throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It continues to be an important text for the reconstruction of Aristotle’s philosophical psychology today.
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