Alexander of Aphrodisias

Alexander of Aphrodisias ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Ἀφροδισιεύς, translit=Alexandros ho Aphrodisieus; AD) was a Peripatetic philosopher and the most celebrated of the Ancient Greek commentators on the writings of Aristotle. He was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria, and lived and taught in Athens at the beginning of the 3rd century, where he held a position as head of the Peripatetic school. He wrote many commentaries on the works of Aristotle, extant are those on the ''Prior Analytics'', '' Topics'', ''Meteorology'', '' Sense and Sensibilia'', and ''Metaphysics''. Several original treatises also survive, and include a work ''On Fate'', in which he argues against the Stoic doctrine of necessity; and one ''On the Soul''. His commentaries on Aristotle were considered so useful that he was styled, by way of pre-eminence, "the commentator" ().

Life and career

Alexander was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria (present-day Turkey)A. Chaniotis, 'Epigraphic evidence for the philosopher Alexander of Aphrodisias', in ''Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies'', , v.47 (2004) pp. 79-81 and came to Athens towards the end of the 2nd century. He was a student of the two Stoic, or possibly Peripatetic, philosophers Sosigenes and Herminus, and perhaps of Aristotle of Mytilene. At Athens he became head of the Peripatetic school and lectured on Peripatetic philosophy. Alexander's dedication of ''On Fate'' to Septimius Severus and Caracalla, in gratitude for his position at Athens, indicates a date between 198 and 209. A recently published inscription from Aphrodisias confirms that he was head of one of the Schools at Athens and gives his full name as Titus Aurelius Alexander. His full nomenclature shows that his grandfather or other ancestor was probably given Roman citizenship by the emperor Antoninus Pius, while proconsul of Asia. The inscription honours his father, also called Alexander and also a philosopher. This fact makes it plausible that some of the suspect works that form part of Alexander's corpus should be ascribed to his father.

Commentaries

Alexander composed several commentaries on the works of Aristotle, in which he sought to escape a syncretistic tendency and to recover the pure doctrines of Aristotle. His extant commentaries are on ''Prior Analytics'' (Book 1), '' Topics'', ''Meteorology'', '' Sense and Sensibilia'', and ''Metaphysics'' (Books 1–5).Donald J. Zeyl, Daniel Devereux, Phillip Mitsis, (1997), ''Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy'', page 20. The commentary on the ''Sophistical Refutations'' is deemed spurious, as is the commentary on the final nine books of the ''Metaphysics''.William W. Fortenbaugh, R. W. Sharples, (2005), ''Theophrastus of Eresus, sources for his life, writings, thought and Influence'', page 22. BRILL The lost commentaries include works on the ''De Interpretatione'', ''Posterior Analytics'', ''Physics'', ''On the Heavens'', ''On Generation and Corruption'', '' On the Soul'', and ''On Memory''. Simplicius of Cilicia mentions that Alexander provided commentary on the quadrature of the lunes, and the corresponding problem of squaring the circle. In April 2007, it was reported that imaging analysis had discovered an early commentary on Aristotle's '' Categories'' in the Archimedes Palimpsest, and Robert Sharples suggested Alexander as the most likely author.

Original treatises

There are also several extant original writings by Alexander. These include: ''On the Soul'', ''Problems and Solutions'', ''Ethical Problems'', ''On Fate'', and ''On Mixture and Growth''. Three works attributed to him are considered spurious: ''Medical Questions'', ''Physical Problems'', and ''On Fevers''. Additional works by Alexander are preserved in Arabic translation, these include: ''On the Principles of the Universe'', ''On Providence'', and ''Against Galen on Motion''.

''On the Soul'' (''De anima'') is a treatise on the soul written along the lines suggested by Aristotle in his own ''De anima''. Alexander contends that the undeveloped reason in man is material (''nous hylikos'') and inseparable from the body. He argued strongly against the doctrine of the soul's immortality. He identified the active intellect (''nous poietikos''), through whose agency the potential intellect in man becomes actual, with God. A second book is known as the ''Supplement to On the Soul'' (''Mantissa''). The ''Mantissa'' is a series of twenty-five separate pieces of which the opening five deal directly with psychology.Robert B. Todd, (1976), ''Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with Preliminary Essays, Text, Translation and Commentary'', page 18. BRILL The remaining twenty pieces cover problems in physics and ethics, of which the largest group deals with questions of vision and light, and the final four with fate and providence. The ''Mantissa'' was probably not written by Alexander in its current form, but much of the actual material may be his.

''Problems and Solutions'' (''Quaestiones'') consists of three books which, although termed "problems and solutions of physical questions," treat of subjects which are not all physical, and are not all problems.Robert B. Todd, (1976), ''Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with Preliminary Essays, Text, Translation and Commentary'', page 19. BRILL Among the sixty-nine items in these three books, twenty-four deal with physics, seventeen with psychology, eleven with logic and metaphysics, and six with questions of fate and providence. It is unlikely that Alexander wrote all of the ''Quaestiones'', some may be Alexander's own explanations, while others may be exercises by his students.

''Ethical Problems'' was traditionally counted as the fourth book of the ''Quaestiones''. The work is a discussion of ethical issues based on Aristotle, and contains responses to questions and problems deriving from Alexander's school.Miira Tuominen, (2009), ''The ancient commentators on Plato and Aristotle'', page 237. University of California Press It is likely that the work was not written by Alexander himself, but rather by his pupils on the basis of debates involving Alexander.

''On Fate'' is a treatise in which Alexander argues against the Stoic doctrine of necessity. In ''On Fate'' Alexander denied three things - necessity (), the foreknowledge of fated events that was part of the Stoic identification of God and Nature, and determinism in the sense of a sequence of causes that was laid down beforehand () or predetermined by antecedents (). He defended a view of moral responsibility we would call libertarianism today.

''On Mixture and Growth'' discusses the topic of mixture of physical bodies.Robert B. Todd, (1976), ''Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic physics: a study of the De Mixtione with Preliminary Essays, Text, Translation and Commentary'', page ix. BRILL It is both an extended discussion (and polemic) on Stoic physics, and an exposition of Aristotelian thought on this theme.

''On the Principles of the Universe'' is preserved in Arabic translation. This treatise is not mentioned in surviving Greek sources, but it enjoyed great popularity in the Muslim world, and a large number of copies have survived. The main purpose of this work is to give a general account of Aristotelian cosmology and metaphysics, but it also has a polemical tone, and it may be directed at rival views within the Peripatetic school. Alexander was concerned with filling the gaps of the Aristotelian system and smoothing out its inconsistencies, while also presenting a unified picture of the world, both physical and ethical.Charles Genequand, (2001), ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos'', page 6. BRILL The topics dealt with are the nature of the heavenly motions and the relationship between the unchangeable celestial realm and the sublunar world of generation and decay. His principal sources are the ''Physics'' (book 7), ''Metaphysics'' (book 12), and the Pseudo-Aristotelian ''On the Universe''.

''On Providence'' survives in two Arabic versions.Robert W. Sharples, "The Peripatetic school", in David Furley (editor), (2003), ''From Aristotle to Augustine'', pages 159-160. Routledge In this treatise, Alexander opposes the Stoic view that divine Providence extends to all aspects of the world; he regards this idea as unworthy of the gods. Instead, providence is a power that emanates from the heavens to the sublunar region, and is responsible for the generation and destruction of earthly things, without any direct involvement in the lives of individuals.

Influence

By the 6th century Alexander's commentaries on Aristotle were considered so useful that he was referred to as "the commentator" (). His commentaries were greatly esteemed among the Arabs, who translated many of them, and he is heavily quoted by Maimonides.

In 1210, the Church Council of Paris issued a condemnation, which probably targeted the writings of Alexander among others.G. Théry, ''Autour du décret de 1210: II, Alexandre d'Aphrodise. Aperçu sur l'influence de sa noétique'', Kain, Belgium, 1926, pp. 7 ff.

In the early Renaissance his doctrine of the soul's mortality was adopted by Pietro Pomponazzi (against the Thomists and the Averroists), and by his successor Cesare Cremonini. This school is known as Alexandrists.

Alexander's band, an optical phenomenon, is named after him.

Modern editions

Several of Alexander's works were published in the Aldine edition of Aristotle, Venice, 1495–1498; his ''De Fato'' and ''De Anima'' were printed along with the works of Themistius at Venice (1534); the former work, which has been translated into Latin by Grotius and also by Schulthess, was edited by J. C. Orelli, Zürich, 1824; and his commentaries on the ''Metaphysica'' by H. Bonitz, Berlin, 1847. In 1989 the first part of his ''On Aristotle Metaphysics'' was published in English translation as part of the Ancient commentators project. Since then, other works of his have been translated into English.

See also

* Alexander's band - an optical phenomenon associated with rainbows
* Free will in antiquity

Notes

Bibliography

Translations

* M. Bergeron, Dufour (trans., comm.), 2009. ''De l’Âme. Textes & Commentaires.'' . Paris: Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin, 2008. 416 p.
* R. W. Sharples, 1990, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: Ethical Problems''. Duckworth.
* W. E. Dooley, 1989, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 1''. Duckworth.
* W. E. Dooley, A. Madigan, 1992, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 2-3''. Duckworth.
* A. Madigan, 1993, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 4''. Duckworth.
* W. Dooley, 1993, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Metaphysics 5''. Duckworth.
* E. Lewis, 1996, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Meteorology 4''. Duckworth.
* E. Gannagé, 2005, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On Coming-to-Be and Perishing 2.2-5''. Duckworth.
* A. Towey, 2000, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On Sense Perception''. Duckworth.
* V. Caston, 2011, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle On the Soul''. Duckworth.
* J. Barnes, S. Bobzien, K. Flannery, K. Ierodiakonou, 1991, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.1-7''. Duckworth.
* I. Mueller, J. Gould, 1999, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.8-13''. Duckworth.
* I. Mueller, J. Gould, 1999, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.14-22''. Duckworth.
* I. Mueller, 2006, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.23-31''. Duckworth.
* I. Mueller, 2006, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Prior Analytics 1.32-46''. Duckworth.
* J. M. Van Ophuijsen, 2000, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Aristotle Topics 1''. Duckworth.
* R. W. Sharples, 1983, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On Fate''. Duckworth.
* R. W. Sharples, 1992, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: Quaestiones 1.1-2.15''. Duckworth.
* R. W. Sharples, 1994, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: Quaestiones 2.16-3.15''. Duckworth.
* R. W. Sharples, 2004, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: Supplement to On the Soul''. Duckworth.
* Charles Genequand, 2001, ''Alexander of Aphrodisias: On the Cosmos''. Brill.

Studies

* Fazzo, Silvia ''Aporia e sistema. La materia, la forma e il divino nelle Quaestiones di Alessandro di Afrodisia'', Pisa: ETS, 2002.
* Flannery, Kevin L. ''Ways into the Logic of Alexander of Aphrodisias'', Leiden: Brill, 1995.
* Gili, Luca. ''La sillogistica di Alessandro di Afrodisia. Sillogistica categorica e sillogistica modale nel commento agli "Analitici Primi" di Aristotele'', Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 2011.
*
* Moraux, Paul. ''Der Aristotelismus bei den Griechen, Von Andronikos bis Alexander von Aphrodisias'', III: ''Alexander von Aphrodisias'', Berlin: Walter Gruyter, 2001.
* Rescher, Nicholas & Marmura, Michael E., ''The Refutation by Alexander of Aphrodisias of Galen's Treatise on the Theory of Motion'', Islamabad: Islamic Research Institute, 1965.
* Todd, Robert B., 'Alexander of Aphrodisias on Stoic Physics. A Study of the "De Mixtione" with Preliminary Essays, Text, Translation and Commentary'', Leiden: Brill, 1976.

External links

*

Alexander on Information Philosopher
* Online Greek texts:
**
Scripta minora
', ed. Bruns
** Aristotelian commentaries
''Metaphysics''''Prior Analytics'' I''Topics''''De sensu'' and ''Meteorology''''In Aristotelis Metaphysica commentaria ''''Miscellanea''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander Of Aphrodisias
2nd-century Greek people
2nd-century philosophers
Commentators on Aristotle
Roman-era Peripatetic philosophers
Roman-era philosophers in Athens
Roman-era students in Athens
People from Aphrodisias