Book Alpha: Outlines "first philosophy", a knowledge of the first principles or causes of things. Historical survey of previous philosophies from Thales to Plato, especially their treatment of causes. Little alpha: Further remarks on how to search for truth. Beta: A listing of metaphysical puzzles (aporiai), proposed for consideration but not definitively answered; e.g., does anything exist apart from individual things? Gamma: Starts on "the science of being qua being", in particular the principle of non-contradiction. Delta ("philoso ...

See also:

Metaphysics Aristotle, Metaphysics Aristotle - Title date and predecessors, Metaphysics Aristotle - Summary, Metaphysics Aristotle - Style, Metaphysics Aristotle - Bibliography

Read more here: » Metaphysics Aristotle: Encyclopedia II - Metaphysics Aristotle - Summary

See also:

Metaphysics Aristotle, Metaphysics Aristotle - Title date and predecessors, Metaphysics Aristotle - Summary, Metaphysics Aristotle - Style, Metaphysics Aristotle - Bibliography

Read more here: » Metaphysics Aristotle: Encyclopedia II - Metaphysics Aristotle - Title date and predecessors

Many scholars believe that Aristotle's works as we have them today are little more than lecture notes. Many of his works are extremely compressed and baffling to beginners. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Metaphysics. Avicenna reportedly said that he read the work forty times without understanding it. In the 19th century, with the rise of textual criticism, the Metaphysics was examined anew. Critics, noting the wide variety of topics and the seemingly illogical order of the books, concluded that it was actually ...

See also:

Metaphysics Aristotle, Metaphysics Aristotle - Title date and predecessors, Metaphysics Aristotle - Summary, Metaphysics Aristotle - Style, Metaphysics Aristotle - Bibliography

Read more here: » Metaphysics Aristotle: Encyclopedia II - Metaphysics Aristotle - Style