On Location

Winner of the Conington Prize 2001 awarded by the Faculty of Literae Humaniores

On Location is the first book devoted to a highly significant doctrine in the history of philosophy and science--Aristotle's account of place in the Physics. Ben Morison presents an authoritative exposition and defence of this account of what it is for something to be somewhere, and demonstrates its enduring philosophical interest and value.On Location is the first book in English exclusively devoted to a highly significant doctrine in the history of philosophy and science--Aristotle's account of place in the Physics. The central question which Aristotle aims to answer is: What is it for something to be somewhere? Ben Morison examines how Aristotle works from simple observations about replacement to a definition of the notion of the place of a body--the inner limit of that body's surroundings. This definition lies at the heart of what we say about places, for instance when we say that we cannot be in two places at once, or that two bodies cannot be in the same place at the same time. Morison also assesses Aristotle's brilliant, though often obscure, criticisms of rival theories. This authoritative exposition and defence of Aristotle's account of place not only allows it to be properly understood in the wider context of the Physics, but also demonstrates that it is of enduring philosophical interest and value.