Alexander of Aphrodisias

Alexander of Aphrodisias, pupil of Aristocles of Messene, the most celebrated of the Greek commentators on the writings of Aristotle, and styled, by way of pre-eminence, o exegetes ("the expositor"), was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria.

Related Topics:
Aristocles of Messene - Aristotle - Aphrodisias - Caria

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He came to Athens towards the end of the 2nd century AD, became head of the Lyceum and lectured on peripatetic philosophy.

Related Topics:
Athens - 2nd century - Lyceum - Peripatetic - Philosophy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The object of his work was to free the doctrine from the syncretism of Ammonius and to reproduce the pure doctrine of Aristotle.

Related Topics:
Syncretism - Ammonius

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Commentaries by Alexander on the following works of Aristotle are still extant:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• the Analytica Priora, i
• the Topica
• the Meteorologica
• the De Sensu
• the Metaphysica, i-v, together with an abridgment of what he wrote on the remaining books of the Metaphysica.

His commentaries were greatly esteemed among the Arabians, who translated many of them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

Related Topics:
Alexander's band - Optical phenomenon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There are also several original writings by Alexander still extant.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The most important of these are a work On Fate, in which he argues against the Stoic doctrine of necessity; and one On the Soul, in which he contends that the undeveloped reason in man is material (nous ulikos) and inseparable from the body.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He argued strongly against the doctrine of immortality.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He identified the active intellect (nous poietikos), through whose agency the potential intellect in man becomes actual, with God.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

Related Topics:
Themistius - Latin - Grotius

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

by Schulthess, was edited by J. C. Orelli, Zurich, 1824; and his commentaries on the Metaphysica by H. Bonitz, Berlin, 1847. J. Nourisson has treated of his doctrine of fate (De la liberte et du hazard, Paris, 1870).

Related Topics:
Schulthess - J. C. Orelli - Zurich - 1824 - H. Bonitz - Berlin - 1847 - J. Nourisson - Paris

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the early Renaissance his doctrine of the soul's mortality was adopted by F. Pomponazzi against the Thomists and the Averroists.

Related Topics:
Renaissance - F. Pomponazzi - Thomists - Averroists

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

See also Alexandrists, Pietro Pomonazzi. Also A. Apelt, Die Schrift d. Alex. v. Aphr., Philolegus, xlv., 1886: C. Ruelle, Alex. d'Aphr. et le pretendu Alex. d'Alexandrie, Rev. des etudes grecques, v., 1892; E. Zeller's Outlines of Gk. Phil. (Eng. trans., ed. 1905, p. 296).

Related Topics:
Alexandrists - Pietro Pomonazzi - A. Apelt - Philolegus - C. Ruelle - E. Zeller

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 
Alexander of Aphrodisias: Links ►