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Title: Aristotle : The Desire to Understand by Jonathan Lear ISBN: 0-521-34762-9 Publisher: Cambridge University Press Pub. Date: 11 February, 1988 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A book with real insights into Aristotle
Comment: Jonathan Lear gives us a truthful and insightful look at Aristotle's thoughts. As opposed to many so-called commentators and experts on Aristotle's theories (including W.D.Ross and J.L.Ackrill) Lear attempts at explaining what Aristotle was saying, not an elaborate re-interpretation and argumentation. Questions and certain problems are not, however, ignored. And Lear's approach to Hume's problem of cause/effect when discussing Aristotle's four causes is to be much admired (as is his whole understanding of the causes.) Kant is as well not ignored when his ideas are relevent (or contradictory.) But Lear has a knack for explaining each philosopher in itself and this explaining as to what it was that Aristotle said (in contradistinction to Kant's ideas), but not in a judgmental sort of manner.
After looking at many (if not almost all) books on Aristotle's theories, I was suprised to find a book with clear,lucid, and straightforward ideas. This is most probably the best book on this subject.
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent explication of Aristotle
Comment: As the author notes, there is a common tendency to describe 'old' philosophies such as Aristotles in an historical manner: to treat his ideas as tacitly dead and gone, with the value of the works deriving from either locating Aristotle's ideas in the context of the history of philosophy, or via some rather facile 'compare and contrast with modern views' approach.
Instead, Lear is "...primarily concerned with the truth about Aristotle, not the truth of Aristotle's views per se...". This frees him up to spend most of his ink on explicating and clarifying the views of Aristotle. Where contrasts do appear, they are intended to "...bring to light how different Aristotle's world is from the modern, not to show how Aristotle's beliefs fall short of what we now take to be the truth."
The organization is by concepts, so within one section there are often references to various books on Aristotle. This is much more helpful than simply attempting to narrate, or move in lockstep, with Aristotle's sequence of writings.
The references are generally sufficient, footnoted at the bottom of the pages. Occasionally, the original Greek words or phrases are also footnoted. (I would have preferred more of the latter, but that is a quibble.)
The author is neither pretentious nor superficial. His writing is that of a patient tutor who is willing to explain, but also not willing to oversimplify. In so doing, the book comes across as being ardently respectful of Aristotle, and it is an excellent companion to reading Aristotle's works.
Rating: 5
Summary: Author stayed on the subject
Comment: Jonathon Lear explains and describes Aristotle's point of view and concepts. The book is easy to read and clearly presents the material. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Title: Happiness, Death, and the Remainder of Life (Tanner Lectures of Human Values (Harvard University)) by Jonathan Lear ISBN: 0674006747 Publisher: Harvard University Press Pub. Date: 01 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: The Basic Works of Aristotle (Modern Library Classics) by Aristotle, C. D. C. Reeve, Richard McKeon, Richard Peter McKeon ISBN: 0375757996 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 11 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Open Minded: Working Out the Logic of the Soul by Jonathan Lear ISBN: 0674455347 Publisher: Harvard University Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Love and Its Place in Nature: A Philosophical Interpretation of Freudian Psychoanalysis by Jonathan Lear ISBN: 0300074670 Publisher: Yale University Press Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
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Title: Therapeutic Action: An Earnest Plea for Irony by Jonathan Lear ISBN: 1590510771 Publisher: Other Press Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
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