Metaphysics Books Z and H [Paperback]

This volume contains a close translation, suitable for students without a knowledge of Greek, of the seventh and eighth books of Aristotle'sMetaphysics, together with a thorough and careful philosophical commentary. In these difficult books, which are central to his metaphysical system, Aristotle discusses the nature of perceptible reality. In particular, he discusses which of matter and form might be the basic reality of things, and he frequently contrasts his own view of form with the Platonic view. Several other topics are treated which are of central importance to his metaphysics, such as the notions of essence and definition, the status of universals, and the concept of a unity.

There is a great deal to applaud in this volume. The translation is splendidly faithful to the Greek. It reads smoothly without lapsing into paraphrase....Now Bostock has provided us with something much more straightforward, clearly written, packed with learning, and as detailed as we could wish. It is a splendid new resource for Aristotelian scholarship. --International Philosophical Quarterly

David Bostock has produced a translation that admirably fulfills the Clarendon Aristotle Series' goal of making Aristotle's texts accessible to the Greekless philosophical reader...probably the best available in English. --The Philosophical Review

...Bostock reads passages closely, dissects arguments skillfully, and makes astute and informed judgements. As one philosopher reading another, he demands a lot of the text and often finds the argument wanting-and with good reason. But whether one is a defender of a critic of Aristotle, one will find Bostock's commentary enlightening and stimulating. --Ancient Philosophy