Form and Reason
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This book uses the study of philosophical texts to raise and explore metaphysical issues. On one level, each essay addresses a scholarly issue in a classical text, often a text of Aristotle's. On a deeper level, the issues Halper considers are metaphysical. However, unlike thinkers who have brought linguistic analysis and contemporary metaphysical notions to these texts, Halper approaches them to find their formulations of issues and their strategies of pursuit. Halper is not concerned with the
Our Review
This philosophical work bridges classical scholarship with contemporary metaphysical inquiry through close readings of Aristotle and other foundational texts. Rather than imposing modern analytical frameworks onto ancient philosophy, the author excavates the original formulations and investigative methods embedded within these historical works. The approach treats philosophical texts not as artifacts to be decoded through contemporary lenses but as living conversations about enduring metaphysical questions. Each chapter moves between specific scholarly puzzles in classical philosophy and broader implications for how we conceptualize reality.
What distinguishes this collection is its commitment to letting historical philosophers speak in their own conceptual vocabulary while demonstrating the continued relevance of their metaphysical projects. The essays resist the common academic practice of translating ancient concerns into modern philosophical terminology, instead revealing how Aristotle's own frameworks remain potent tools for metaphysical investigation. Readers with background in classical philosophy will appreciate the nuanced textual analysis, while those interested in metaphysics will discover alternative approaches to fundamental questions about being and form. This dual-layered investigation makes a compelling case for the continued vitality of pre-modern philosophical methods in contemporary discourse.
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