Carlo Natali – författare

The definitive account of Aristotle''s life and schoolThis definitive biography shows that Aristotle''s philosophy is best understood on the basis of a firm knowledge of his life and of the school he founded. First published in Italian, and now translated, updated, and expanded for English readers, this concise chronological narrative is the most authoritative account of Aristotle''s life and his Lyceum available in any language. Gathering, distilling, and analyzing all the evidence and previous scholarship, Carlo Natali, one of the world''s leading Aristotle scholars, provides a masterful synthesis that is accessible to students yet filled with evidence and original interpretations that specialists will find informative and provocative.Cutting through the controversy and confusion that have surrounded Aristotle''s biography, Natali tells the story of Aristotle''s eventful life and sheds new light on his role in the foundation of the Lyceum. Natali offers the most detailed and persuasive argument yet for the view that the school, an important institution of higher learning and scientific research, was designed to foster a new intellectual way of life among Aristotle''s followers, helping them fulfill an aristocratic ideal of the best way to use the leisure they enjoyed. Drawing a wealth of connections between Aristotle''s life and thinking, Natali demonstrates how the two are mutually illuminating.For this edition, ancient texts have been freshly translated on the basis of the most recent critical editions; indexes have been added, including a comprehensive index of sources and an index to previous scholarship; and scholarship that has appeared since the book''s original publication has been incorporated.

Aristoteles har antagligen haft större inflytande på vår filosofiska och vetenskapliga utveckling än någon annan enskild tänkare i historien. Andra har varit tidigare, som Platon, senare har varit mera exakta, som Newton, och specialiseringen av forskning har lett till fördjupning av kunskaperna på ett sätt som vida övergår en enskilds förmåga. Men även när Aristoteles tog fel, gjorde han det många gånger på ett sådant sätt att det, med tiden, kommit att leda vidare.

Aristoteles var elev till Platon och lärare till Alexander den store. Han lade grunden för både filosofiska, naturvetenskapliga och humanistiska forskningsfält: fysik, retorik, statskunskap, logik, biologi och dramaturgi. Hans vetenskapliga metod, att granska föregångares åsikter såväl som den allmänna meningen, och genom kombinationer av logiska argument och empiriska iakttagelser vederlägga eller bevisa riktigheten i andras och egna uppfattningar, håller än idag.