Aristotle

By John Sellars

Aristotle, one of the towering figures of philosophy, is provided this introduction from John Sellars. Sellars wrote possibly the best introduction to Stoicism, so I was keen to see if his treatment of Aristotle matched it.

Aristotle’s main works are discussed here – Ethics, Metaphysics, Poetics, Physics and Politics, but given this short book is really just a primer, one shouldn’t expect much depth or detail to the book.

It’s written well though, acknowledging the difficulty of the metaphysics, the importance of the Nicomachean ethics and the framework for drama and tragedy that the poetics outlined. One particularly important part is the inevitable contrast between Plato and Aristotle, and how Aristotle took a scientific approach matched by his fascination of animals, whereas Plato’s theory of forms has usually been construed as more abstract. The difference was well explained, how Plato’s Forms are a higher reality, and have an original idea, whereas Aristotle believed forms do not exist independently of things, and are more of an attribute which can sometimes be lost or added without impacting the original subject.

One problem I see with Aristotle is that he’s just…well…dry. And I say this as someone who loves ancient philosophy. Getting an introduction such as this can help – when one doesn’t know the context around someone like Nietzsche, it can remain interesting nevertheless (albeit, perhaps difficult to understand). Yet with Aristotle, having surrounding context can really help you to just read his work.

A criticism would be that some of this is too short, and the subject matter certainly too complicated to provide enough context though. Aristotle’s metaphysics instantly springs to mind, and indeed is caveated by the author as this book barely being able to even dip the toes into the metaphysical water. This is less the case for poetics, which itself is fairly short and has a few central ideas that are easier to understand and easier to cover in a primer such as this, and which are well explained.

One way in which our own use of comedy ought not to overstep its bounds, Aristotle suggests in the Nicomachean Ethics, is by avoiding being deliberately offensive. He also argues that comedy on stage ought to be fun, relaxing, and entertaining, and so shouldn’t cause pain to anyone else. The goal is relaxation and amusement, not provocation. Bearing in mind Aristotle’s stress on the importance of living in a harmonious community, humour too ought to contribute to this by generating enjoyable social occasions – moments to bring the community together – rather than upsetting or alienating anyone. This issue is as current today as when Aristotle reflected on it. Where do we draw the lines between humour and offence? Should some topics be off limits for comedy? (Pp.81)

Sellars still writes with clarity, and avoids getting bogged down or sidetracked. It is a focussed work, which often makes his short analyses so effective. He also writes in a readable style that is enjoyable for potentially challenging ideas. I didn’t see much problem with how Aristotle’s ideas are presented, nor what was included. Such a vast volume of literature has been written about Aristotle that not everything is going to be present here.

Final score

I don’t see much need to over-elaborate. For a short, succinct primer that gets the job done, this is a good read for understanding Aristotle and his main ideas. If you’re studying philosophy for university or even personally, you might need something a little detailed, but this is still worth a quick read that you can finish in a couple of hours. So long as you acknowledge that this won’t be comprehensive, you’ll likely enjoy it.

7/10