Metaph

On Aristotle's Metaphysics 1-7 (in Metaph.); the title of the first book of this commentary is:

The Garbage House 2009

(Asclepius, in Metaph. 69,17-27; cf. Sorabji 2005, vol. 3 sect. 5 (d)) that, while Aristotle ˜seems™ to be attacking Plato on the Forms in Metaph. 990b3, he actually agrees with Plato, since he praises (De An. 429a28) those who say that the soul is the place of Forms.

The Garbage House 2009

On the other hand, Aristotle always presents the philosophical system of limiters and unlimiteds, which placed an emphasis on the role of number in understanding the cosmos and which included the astronomical system built around the central fire, as the work of “the so-called Pythagoreans,” whom he dates to the second half of the fifth century, at the same time as or a little earlier than the atomists (e.g. Metaph. 985b23 ff.).

Philolaus Huffman, Carl 2008

This interpretation agrees with Aristotle's claim that Plato differed from the Pythagoreans in making the unlimited a dyad (Metaph. 987b23-27).

Philolaus Huffman, Carl 2008

Aristotle discusses the Pythagorean system in considerable detail and in at least one passage strongly implies that what he is reporting is based on a written text (Metaph. 1091a13).

Philolaus Huffman, Carl 2008

Aristotle tells us that the next step was for the nearest part of the unlimited to be drawn in (Metaph. 1091a17), and elsewhere he specifies that it is time, breath and the void, which are drawn in from the unlimited

Philolaus Huffman, Carl 2008

Aristotle specifically identifies the Pythagoreanism that he discusses as contemporary with or a little earlier than the atomists (Metaph. 985b23 ff.).

Philolaus Huffman, Carl 2008

Aristotle emphasizes that the Pythagoreans differed from Plato in not separating numbers from things (e.g. Metaph. 987b27-9), and Plato confirms this interpretation with his criticism of the Pythagoreans on the grounds that they looked for numbers in things rather than focusing on numbers in themselves (R. 531c).

Philolaus Huffman, Carl 2008

Metaph. 1032 a 25, 1033 b 32, 1049 b 25, 1070 a 8, 1092 a

Aristotle on Causality Falcon, Andrea 2008

The same is true of the astronomical system built around the central fire, which the later tradition assigns to Philolaus and which Aristotle (Metaph. 986a8 ff.) and Fr. 7 explicitly tie to the philosophy of limiters and unlimiteds.

Philolaus Huffman, Carl 2008