Aristotle on Time

by Roark, Tony

• ISBN13: 9781107002623
• ISBN10: 1107002621
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-03-14
• Publisher: Cambridge Univ Pr

Summary

Aristotle's definition of time as 'a number of motion with respect to the before and after' has been branded as patently circular by commentators ranging from Simplicius to W. D. Ross. In this book Tony Roark presents an interpretation of the definition that renders it not only non-circular, but also worthy of serious philosophical scrutiny. He shows how Aristotle developed an account of the nature of time that is inspired by Plato while also thoroughly bound up with Aristotle's sophisticated analyses of motion and perception. When Aristotle's view is properly understood, Roark argues, it is immune to devastating objections against the possibility of temporal passage articulated by McTaggart and other 20th century philosophers. Roark's novel and fascinating interpretation of Aristotle's temporal theory will appeal to those interested in Aristotle, ancient philosophy and the philosophy of time.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
List of figures	p. xi
List of abbreviations	p. xii
Introduction	p. 1
Times New and Old
McTaggart's systems	p. 11
Countenancing the doxai	p. 17
Old time and ancient chronometers	p. 18
Time in the Timaeus	p. 22
Hylomorphism	p. 33
The Matter of Time: Motion
Time is not motion	p. 41
Fleshing out the opening argument of IV.II: two schools	p. 45
A new old school	p. 54
Aristotelian motion	p. 63
Plasticity properties and telic properties	p. 67
Accidental compounds	p. 71
Telic property compounds	p. 73
ôThe before and after in motionö	p. 80
The size problem	p. 81
The directionality problem	p. 87
Kinetic cuts defined	p. 91
Kinêsis vs. kinetic cuts	p. 94
Summary of Part II	p. 99
The Form of Time: Perception
Number and perception	p. 105
ôArithmosö is said in many ways	p. 109
Perceiving, division, and determinacy	p. 112
On a moment's notice	p. 122
The contagion argument	p. 124
An odd juxtaposition	p. 129
The role of imagination	p. 133
Aisthêsis as the headwaters of phantasia	p. 136
Phantasia and memory	p. 144
Time and the common perceptibles	p. 149
Schemas and perspectives	p. 155
Phantasms of past and future times	p. 166
The hylomorphic interpretation illustrated	p. 172
Summary of Part III	p. 174
Simultaneity and Temporal Passage
Simultaneity and other temporal relations	p. 179
Two fundamental temporal notions	p. 183
Primary time, being in time	p. 184
Three derivative simultaneity relations	p. 186
Celestial motion	p. 187
Temporal passage	p. 193
Sorabji's ôanalogiesö	p. 194
Miller's challenge	p. 198
Aristotelian temporal passage	p. 201
The absolute present	p. 207
Time's corrosive effects	p. 208
Dissolving the puzzles of IV.IO	p. 211
Concluding summary and historical significance	p. 216
References	p. 222
Index locorum	p. 227
General index	p. 229
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