Evil in Aristotle
Evil in Aristotle
Aristotle's notion of evil is highly elaborate and attractive, yet has been largely overlooked by philosophers. While most recent studies of evil focus on modern understandings of the concept, this volume shows that Aristotle's theory is an invaluable resource for our contemporary understanding of it. Twelve leading scholars reconstruct the account of evil latent in Aristotle's metaphysics, biology, psychology, ethics, and politics, and detect Aristotelian patterns of thought that operate at certain landmark moments in the history of philosophy from ancient thought to modern day debates. The book pays particular attention to Aristotle's understanding of 'radical evil', an important and much disputed topic. Original and systematic, this study is the first to provide a full exploration of evil in Aristotle's work, shedding light on its content, potential, and influence. The volume will appeal to scholars of ancient Greek philosophy as well as to moral philosophers and to historians of philosophy.
- Provides the first systematic account of Aristotle's notion of evil, showing that it is both elaborate and attractive
- Considers the question of 'radical evil' in Aristotle, a highly disputed topic in ancient and modern philosophy
- Traces the influence of Aristotelian thought on evil in later philosophers' work, making this book important for those interested in moral philosophy as well as in the history of philosophy
Reviews & endorsements
'Altogether, the essays provide a comprehensive and ample taxonomy of the types of evil in Aristotle’s philosophy.' M. Latzer, Choice
'This is the first volume devoted to Aristotle’s thoughts on evil or badness (to kakon). The work calls attention to several relatively neglected areas of scholarship, and the contributions give any reader grounds for thinking that Aristotle has thoughts about to kakon that are sophisticated and worthy of deep philosophical engagement.' Samuel Baker, Journal of the History of Philosophy
Product details
March 2018Hardback
9781107161979
284 pages
235 × 156 × 20 mm
0.52kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction Pavlos Kontos
- Part I. Kakon in Aristotle's Metaphysics and Biology:
- 1. Good and bad in Aristotle C. D. C. Reeve
- 2. Badness as posteriority to capacity in metaphysics Theta 9 Jonathan Beere
- 3. The good, the bad, and the ugly: natural teleology and its failures in Aristotle Stasinos Stavrianeas
- Part II. Kakon in Aristotle's Practical Philosophy:
- 4. Radical evil in Aristotle's Ethics and Politics Pavlos Kontos
- 5. Aristotelian demons Howard J. Curzer
- 6. Aristotle on psychopathology Giles Pearson
- 7. Aristotle on enduring evils while staying happy Marta Jimenez
- 8. The political kakon: the lowest forms of constitutions Richard Kraut
- Part III. The Presence of Aristotle in Post-Aristotelian Philosophy:
- 9. Plotinus against Aristotle on the problem of evil Paul Kalligas
- 10. Being bad: Aristotelian resonances in Aquinas' conception of evil Kevin L. Flannery, S.J.
- 11. Virtue and vice in Aristotle and Kant Stephen Engstrom
- 12. Practical unintelligence and the vices Daniel C. Russell.
