Aristotle and the Theology of the Living ImmortalsThis book argues that Aristotle used "the most traditional Greek ideas about the gods" to develop and defend his physical, metaphysical, and ethical teachings. This revolutionary thesis stands in stark contrast to studies of Aristotle's texts that normally portray him as a "natural theologian" using rational tools to elaborate his own conception of God or the gods. Bodeus argues that Aristotle is more closely aligned with popular Greek religion than is usually thought, and attention to the ethical and political writings reveals more about Aristotle's resources for conceiving the gods than study of his theoretical works. |
Contents
TOWARD RECONSIDERATION OF THE PREVAILING VIEW | 7 |
TEXTS ON THE MARGIN OF LAMBDA | 13 |
THE SEPARATE SUBSTANCE OF LAMBDA | 20 |
THE NOTION OF NATURAL THEOLOGY | 29 |
SOCALLED THEOLOGICAL SCIENCE | 34 |
CONCLUSIONS | 39 |
THE CELESTIAL GODS AND THE DIVINE OBJECTS OF PHILOSOPHY | 43 |
VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE CELESTIAL NATURES | 44 |
DEFENSE OF THE TRADITION AGAINST THE NATURALISTS | 106 |
THE LOGIC OF RECEIVED BELIEFS ABOUT THE GODS | 113 |
REASONABLE ARGUMENTS | 120 |
THE GOD AS PARADIGM OF THE MACROCOSM | 124 |
CONCLUSIONS | 128 |
THE GODS AS BENEFACTORS A REASONABLE TENET | 133 |
FROM DEFERENCE TO PIETY | 135 |
THE FOUNDATIONS OF PIETY | 141 |
ON PROPER USE OF OPINION IN CELESTIAL PHYSICS | 49 |
THE TESTIMONY OF RECEIVED BELIEFS REGARDING THE CELESTIAL GODS | 54 |
THE EVIDENCE OF LANGUAGE | 57 |
THE AUTHORITY OF PLATO | 63 |
CONCLUSIONS | 68 |
THE GODS OF THE CITY IN THE STORIES OF THE WISE | 73 |
THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE | 76 |
THE MYTHICAL ADDITION OF THEOLOGY | 81 |
THE HISTORICAL TESTIMONY OF MYTHS | 86 |
THE REASON FOR THEOLOGY AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE GODS OF THE CITY | 95 |
CONCLUSIONS | 102 |
AN APPROPRIATION OF THE TRADITION ABOUT THE GODS | 105 |
THE MUTUAL LOVE OF GODS AND HUMANS | 149 |
THE GODS AND FORTUNE | 158 |
THE CODS AS OBJECTS OF IMITATION | 168 |
CONCLUSIONS | 179 |
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS | 185 |
THEOLOGY AND WAYS OF SPEAKING | 199 |
NOTES | 221 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 279 |
FROM ANCIENT AUTHORS | 319 |
| 345 | |
| 353 | |
Other editions - View all
Aristotle and the Theology of the Living Immortals Richard Bodeus,Richard Bodéüs,Richard Bodéü s Limited preview - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
according activity analogous ancient argument Aristotle attributes belief Bodéüs caelo celestial bodies centaur claim clearly conception concerning the gods Cratylus Critias criticism demiurge describes Diogenes Laërtius divine EE vii essentially eternal Ethics Eudemian Ethics Euthyphro example existence explain expression fact frag god's gods Greek happiness heaven Heracles Hesiod Homer human hypothesis idea immortal inquiry interpretation Isocrates justice Lambda Laws living means Metaphysics Moreover myth mythical natural theology nature Nicomachean Ethics object Olympians opinion Paris passage person Phaedrus phenomena philosopher philosopher's physics piety Plato poets practical intellect principle proposition Protagoras question reality reason refers regarding relation religion religious says seems sense separate Socrates soul speak stories substance term texts theologians theology Theophrastus theoretical things thinking Timaeus traditional gods transcendent viii virtue visible celestial word Xenophanes Zeus ἀστρολογία δὲ θεολογία θεός καὶ λογία περὶ τὴν τὸ τὸν τοῦ τῶν