Guides: Aristotle Research Guide: Understanding Aristotle

Encyclopedias

These links contains background information for understanding Aristotle and his works from articles in encyclopedias (print and electronic). The first two links are online encyclopedia articles (peer reviewed and open access) on Aristotle.

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy consists of peer reviewed articles on all aspects of philosophy including Aristotle. This encyclopedia provides information of scholarly quality freely on the web.
Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has an article by Christopher Shields on Aristotle which concludes with an extensive bibliography of translations, translations with commentaries, general works, and works cited.
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Craig, Edward (ed). London; New York: Routledge, 1998. B51 .R68 1998 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This ten volume set contains extensive articles such as "Aristotelianism in Islamic Philosophy", "Aristotelianism in the 17th Century", "Aristotelianism, Medieval", "Aristotelianism, Renaissance", "Aristotle", and "Aristotle Commentators". Each of the articles is accompanied by a list of works (recommended editions and than translations of individual works) and references and further reading. The set is also located at the Reference Desk.

The encyclopedia is also available as a CD-ROM in the Religious Studies and Philosophy Library).

New Catholic Encyclopedia This link opens in a new window
Catholic University of America. 2nd ed. Detroit: Thomson/Gale; Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America, 2003. BT 6 .N53 2003 (Religious Studies and Philosophy and Reference) New Catholic Encyclopedia (Volume 1) contains an article by J. Owens on Aristotle which concludes with a bibliography.
Encyclopedia of Philosophy This link opens in a new window
Edwards, Paul. New York : Macmillan: Free Press; London: Collier Macmillan, 1967. B41 .E56 1967a (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library, Reference, and Stacks) This encyclopedia (available online and in print) is the English-language reference source for philosophy and has been the cornerstone of the philosophy reference shelf. The extensive article on Aristotle by Stephen Menn includes a comprehensive bibliography.
Encyclopedia of Rhetoric This link opens in a new window
This encyclopedia provides a comprehensive survey of the latest research and the foundational teachings in this broad field. It synthesizes a vast amount of knowledge from classics, philosophy, literature, literary theory, cultural studies, speech and communications, and discusses basic concepts and themes throughout rhetoric. Even though the encyclopedia does not have an article on Aristotle himself; this encyclopedia contains articles (such as Topics and Pathos) which mention Aristotle, his writings, and his influence. A search for Aristotle returns 104 results.

Dictionaries

Aristotle Dictionary
Kiernan, Thomas P. (ed.). New York: Philosophical Library, 1962. PA3926 .Z8 1962 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This book provides a lengthy overview of Plato's works and main ideas (more than 150 pages) as well as a dictionary of quotations from Aristotle's works.
The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy
Audi, Robert (ed.). 2nd ed. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999. B41 .C35 1999 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This dictionary consists of lengthy and comprehensive articles on Aristotle and other topics such as commentaries on Aristotle and virtue ethics.
The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy
Blackburn, Simon. 2nd ed. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. B41 .B53 2005 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This dictionary provides a shorter article on Aristotle and other topics such as arete and Aristotelianism than the article found in The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy.
Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion: Eastern and Western Thought
Reese, William L. new and enl. ed. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press, 1996. B41 .R43 1996 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This dictionary contains numerous cross-references in its articles. Even though the dictionary does not contain exhaustive information on topics, its article on Aristotle is rather lengthy.
A Dictionary of Philosophy
Mautner, Thomas. Oxford, UK; Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Reference, 1996. B41 .M38 1996 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This dictionary is for individuals who are new to studying philosophy - articles on important thinkers such as Aristotle and the vocabulary found in philosophy are included. The dictionary's article on Aristotle is shorter than the article found in The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy.
A Dictionary of Philosophy
Lacey, A. R. 3rd ed. London: Routledge, 1996. B41 .L32 1996 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This dictionary contains a short article on Aristotle.

Dictionary of Literary Biography This link opens in a new window
. Provides nearly 16,000 biographical and critical essays on the lives, works, and careers of the world's most influential literary figures from all eras and genres such as Aristotle. Aristotle appears in Volume 176: Ancient Greek Authors. (A Bruccoli Clark Layman Book. Edited by Ward W. Briggs, University of South Carolina. The Gale Group, 1997, pp. 55-76).
Oxford Classical Dictionary This link opens in a new window
. The Oxford Classical Dictionary has an article by Martha C. Nussbaum on Aristotle which concludes with a bibliography (text, translations, commentaries, and general).

Biographical and Background Information (Electronic Sources)

The first link is to Diogenes Laërtius' Lives of the Eminent Philosophers (3rd Century A.D.) in Greek while the second link is an English translation of the Lives of the Eminent Philosophers. The third link is an entry on Aristotle from the Suda (10th century A.D.) which contains the Byzantine Greek text and an English translation.

Διογένης Λαέρτιος Βίοι και γνώμαι των εν φιλοσοφία ευδοκιμησάντων
This website makes available the Greek text of Diogenes Laërtius which was edited by H.S. Long (1964). Βιβλίον Ε' provides biographical information on Aristotle.
Diogenes Laërtius' Lives of the Eminent Philosophers
Book 5 (The Peripatetics) of Diogenes Laërtius' Lives of the Eminent Philosophers provides biographical information on Aristotle. An English translation by Robert Drew Hicks from the Loeb Classical Library Series (volumes 1 and 2) is out out of copyright and therefore available in public domain.
Suda On Line
Suda On Line makes the Suda (a 10th century Byzantine Greek encyclopedia) available on the web. The website provides the English translation, the Greek text, notes, and keywords for entries such as Aristotle in the Suda. Entries are regularly added.

Understanding Aristotle . . . (print resources)

A Companion to Aristotle
Anagnostopoulos, Georgios (ed.). Blackwell Companions to Philosophy Chichester, UK; Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. B485 .C59 2009 (Stacks)
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This book contains 40 chapters which highlight central topics found in Aristotle's works as a whole (substance, essence, cause, etc.).
The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle
Barnes, Jonathan (ed.). Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. B485 .C35 1995 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This book provides philosophical criticism on Aristotle's life and his works; the book's focus is Aristotle as a philosopher. The book concludes with suggestions for reading and a comprehensive bibliography (introductory, juvenilia, logic, philosophy of science, science, psychology, metaphysics, ethics, rhetoric and poetics, and politics).
A Companion to Aristotle's Politics
Keyt, David and Fred D. Miller. Oxford, UK; Cambridge, MA: B. Blackwell, 1991. JC71.A7 A75 1991 (Stacks)
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This book contains 15 chapters discussing aspects of Aristotle's Politics such as man, private property, distributive justice, oligarchy, and political change.
Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Aristotle on Ethics
Hughes, Gerald J. Routledge Philosophy Guidebooks London; New York: Routledge, 2001. B430 .H84 2001 (Stacks)
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This book provides a discussion of Aristotle's terminology, interpretation controversy of Aristotle's writings, and the impact of Aristotle's Ethics on contemporary moral philosophy.
Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Aristotle and the Metaphysics
Politis, Vasilis. Routledge Philosophy Guidebooks London; New York: Routledge, 2004. B434 .P65 2004 (Stacks)
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This book provides an introduction to reading and understanding Aristotle's Metaphysics, especially the main arguments.
Aristotle: a Guide for the Perplexed
Vella, John A. Guides for the Perplexed London; New York: Continuum, 2008. B485 .V45 2008 (Stacks)
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This book contains Aristotle's key ideas and their influence on western philosophy in chapters such as science, being or substance, nature, soul, and success.
Greek Philosophy A Collection of Texts with Notes and Explanations Volume II
Vogel, C. J. De. 3rd ed. Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill, 1967. B 165 .V87 v.2 1967 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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Volume II, Aristotle, the Early Peripatetic School and the Early Academy, contains actual Greek passages from Aristotle as well as notes in English. Book III is entirely on Aristotle (life, works, Physics, Metaphysics, Nicomachean Ethics, Rhetoric, Poetics, and much more). These books are also available in the Greek and Latin Reading Room and the Stacks.
The Oxford Companion to Philosophy
Honderich, Ted (ed.). 2nd ed. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. B51 .O94 2005 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This book contains articles on most philosophical terms and provides articles on Aristotle and Aristotelianism.
A Companion to the Philosophers
Arrington, Robert L. (ed.) Blackwell Companions to Philosophy Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 1999. B 72 .C595 1999 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This book contains 193 essays including an essay on Aristotle which concludes with a bibliography.
A Companion to Ethics
Singer, Peter (ed). Blackwell Companions to Philosophy. Oxford, UK; Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Reference, 1991. BJ1012 .C62 1991 (Religious Studies and Philosophy Library)
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This book contains 47 essays on ethics which includes discussion on Aristotle and topics such as arete, practical reason, virtue, and Nichomachean Ethics.
Greek Thought: a Guide to Classical Knowledge
Brunschwig, Jacques and Geoffrey E.R. Lloyd (eds.). Translated by Catherine Porter. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2000. DF78 .S2813 2000 (Stacks)
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This book contains an essay on Aristotle which concludes with a bibliography (texts and translations and studies) and related articles. Illustrations are included.

Understanding Aristotle . . . (electronic resources)

People with online papers in philosophy
David Chalmers maintains People with online papers in philosophy which provides links to online papers. Philosophy papers on Aristotle are found under "Ancient" (Ancient Greek Philosophy).
Paideia Project On-Line
The Paideia Project On-Line contains philosophy papers in its archives, including papers on Aristotle. You can look for Aristotle under "Ancient Philosophy" heading or type Aristotle's name in the search box. Not all of the papers are in English.
Modern Interpretation of Ancient Logics
Klaus Glashoff (former professor at the University of Hamburg, Germany) maintains this website. He provides papers (in PDF) on Aristotle and logic.
Princeton/Stanford Working Papers in Classics
Princeton/Stanford Working Papers in Classics contains papers discussing Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and others.
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Select "The Papers"
Select "Classical Philosophy"

Biographical and Background Information (Greek Print Sources)

Svidae Lexicon
Adler, Ada. (ed.). Lipsiae: in aedibvs B. G. Tevbneri, 1928-38. PA5365 .A23 1928 (Greek and Latin Reading Room)
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This five volume set is the Suda in print. The Suda is in Greek while the Preface is in Latin. Volume 1 contains entries for Aristotle.

DVDS which Contain Aristotle's Works

Classical Greek Philosophy [videorecording]
Viddisc. 00528 (Central Reserve Audiovisual)
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This program addresses core topics in ancient philosophy such as freedom and fate, permanence and change, happiness, the nature of the cosmos, and the immortality of the soul. Concepts are presented as articulated by key figures including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Heraclitus, Pythagoras, and the Milesian and Eleatic philosophers -- in combination with quotations drawn from Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Physics, and other influential sources -- make this program an excellent tool for building a solid understanding of Western philosophy.

Ask for these DVDs at the Circulation Desk.

Ethics [videorecording] : what is right?
Viddisc. 00111 (Central Reserve Audiovisual)
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Harvard University’s Frances Kamm, Rutgers University’s Larry Temkin, and Richard Sorabji, emeritus professor of philosophy at King’s College, London, describe the three major categories of ethics: metaethics, applied ethics, and normative ethics. Also included are virtue theory, divine command theory, utilitarian theory, and duty theory. Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, and Kant’s Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals are considered along with the contributions of Epicurus, Hume, Bentham, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Max Weber, G.E. Moore, and John Rawls.