logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2011
22m 16s

HoP 040 - Let's Get Physical - Aristotle...

PETER ADAMSON
About this episode
Aristotle's Physics explains change, time and place with the help of his actuality/potentiality distinction 
Up next
Oct 25
HoP 502 United States: the Dutch Republic
The period of political turmoil and experimentation in liberty that set the stage for philosophers including Grotius and Spinoza. 
22m 56s
Oct 11
HoP 501 Mara van der Lugt on Bayle and Pessimism
An interview on the surprising comforts to be found in the philosophy of pessimism, focusing on Bayle but looking all the way forward to Schopenhauer. 
33m 19s
Oct 9
HoP 500e Daniel Watson on Medieval Irish Philosophy
In the last of five episodes to celebrate reaching the episode 500 mark by looking at things he skipped in earlier series, Peter talks to Daniel Watson about philosophy in early medieval Ireland. 
35m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2020
Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Aristotle
He gave us biology, physics and drama... but Greek philosopher Aristotle also thought deeply about how humans can flourish and live happy lives of virtue.Yale professor Tamar Gendler tells Dr Laurie Santos about Aristotle's wellbeing insights and how he recommended taking daily " ... Show More
28m 25s
Mar 2024
Ep. 338: Aristotle on Potential vs. Actual and the Unmoved Mover (Part One)
We read portions of books 9 (Theta) and 12 (Lambda) of Aristotle's Metaphysics, first on "being-at-work" (actuality) vs. mere potency, then on Aristotle's famous argument for the existence of God. Get more at partiallyexaminedlife.com. Visit partiallyexaminedlife.com/support to g ... Show More
45m 19s
Feb 2024
Ep. 335: Aristotle on Fundamental Explanations (Part One)
On Aristotle's Metaphysics, book 1 (aka Alpha) (ca. 340 BCE). What constitutes a basic explanation of the universe? We talk about how mere practical knowledge of how things in fact work is not enough; there's greater wisdom in knowing the theoretical underpinnings. Various philos ... Show More
46m 29s
Mar 2024
Ep. 337: Aristotle on Primary Being (Part Two)
Continuing on Aristotle's Metaphysics, Book 7 (Zeta), on essences and what sorts of things have them. Contrasting with Plato, Aristotle believes that some changing, visible things have forms. How do they get them? Well, they're received from some previous thing that has a compara ... Show More
43m 45s
Feb 2024
Ep. 335: Aristotle on Fundamental Explanations (Part Two)
Continuing on Aristotle's Metaphysics, book 1. We get seriously into Aristotle's four types of causation and how previous philosophers in leaving out one or most of these made a mistake. This includes a critique of Platonic forms, which as eternal, unchanging patterns can't actua ... Show More
42m 29s
Feb 2010
1.3 Science from Aristotle to Galileo
Part 1.3. Describes briefly the Aristotelian view of the universe; the basis for natural science in Europe until the 15th century and its conflict Galileo's theories. 
18m 11s
Aug 2021
Ep. 277: Hegel on Our Understanding of Physics (Part One)
On The Phenomenology of Spirit, ch. 3, "Force and the Understanding." What is "force" as physics describes it? And scientific law? Do these terms denote objects in the world, or models for how we describe the world? Part two of this episode is only going to be available to you if ... Show More
53m 53s
Mar 2024
Ep. 337: Aristotle on Primary Being (Part One)
Continuing for our third session on Aristotle's Metaphysics, now covering Book 7 (Zeta). What exactly is the type of being that is the chief reason why we call anything being? Aristotle says its the substantial form present in an individual animal or plant. Get more at partiallye ... Show More
45m 5s