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1 - Argument in ancient philosophy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2006

By
Jonathan Barnes
Edited by
David Sedley
David Sedley
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
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Summary

At the beginning of Book Gamma of his Metaphysics, Aristotle announces the existence of a peculiar branch of knowledge:

There is a certain science which considers the things which exist insofar as they exist, and what holds of them in their own right. It is not the same as any of the particular sciences; for none of them investigates universally about the things which exist insofar as they exist - rather, they cut off a certain part of these things and consider what holds of this part (so, for example, the mathematical sciences).

(Metaphysics 1003a21–6)

The science which considers everything which exists, insofar as it exists, Aristotle calls first philosophy. It is usually named metaphysics.

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Information
The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy , pp. 20 - 41
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2003

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