Aristotle: On Generation and Corruption Book II

Generation and Corruption II, a foundational text, develops Aristotle's theory of the elements, essential for his natural philosophy.

Generation and Corruption II is concerned with Aristotle's theory of elements and their perpetual generation and corruption. Its themes and methodology form a crucial part of his work on natural science and philosophy of science. This volume provides a new English translation accompanied by an introduction and critical essays.Generation and Corruption II is concerned with Aristotle's theory of the elements, their reciprocal transformations and the cause of their perpetual generation and corruption. These matters are essential to Aristotle's picture of the world, making themselves felt throughout his natural science, including those portions of it that concern living things. What is more, the very inquiry Aristotle pursues in this text, with its focus on definition, generality, and causation, throws important light on his philosophy of science more generally. This volume contains eleven new essays, one for each of the chapters of this Aristotelian text, plus a general introduction and an English translation of the Greek text. It gives substantial attention to an important and neglected text, and highlights its relevance to other topics of current and enduring interest.