Recommendations for books on Aristotle

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azurekeys

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Hi,

I am trying to study Aristotle to better understand St Tomas Aquinas.

Does anyone have recommendations for books or websites that could help me understand core concepts such as focal meaning and what Aristotle means by dialectic.:confused:

Thanks and God bless.
 
just go to your library and wander around the philosophy section they should have begginer and for dummies books on him.
 
Thanks for your reply. I have tried philosophy for dummies, it wasn’t helpful for understanding Aristotle.
 
You might look at Mortimer Adler’s book Aristotle for Everybody.
 
You might look a Copleston’s history of philosophy. He was a Jesuit, and is pretty well regarded. You don’t need to read all 11 volumes. Just read the sections on Aristotle and the ones on Aquinas. Also read Aristotle directly and check the free notes on sparknotes. That might get you started.
 
azurekeys said:
Hi,

I am trying to study Aristotle to better understand St Tomas Aquinas.

Does anyone have recommendations for books or websites that could help me understand core concepts such as focal meaning and what Aristotle means by dialectic.:confused:

Thanks and God bless.
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You might benefit from Josef Pieper’s book, For the Love of Wisdom, and in particular, the section in the book entitled “What Does It Mean To Philosophize”. Pieper also has another book which provides a thought-provoking introduction to Aquinas.

Throughout Pieper’s work, there are broad Aristotelian themes.
 
I second the sections on Aristotle and Aquinas by Copleston. And although I have not read Lear’s book, it sounds promising.

If you’re really interested on how some of the ideas can be defended today and how one could come to them, I would say check out Edward Feser’s The Last Superstition and Aquinas: a beginner’s guide. These books are great for many reasons… but if I suspect rightly that you are interested in Aquinas’ arguments for the existence of God, then it is most prudent to check out these books.

Copleston’s book Aquinas has some very important insights as well.
 
Harry Jaffa: Thomism and Aristotelianism: A Study of the Commentary by Thomas Acquinas on the Nicomachean Ethics

Ronna Berger: Aristotle’s Dialogue With Socrates

Mary Nichols: Citizens & Statesmen: A Study of Aristotle’s Politics

Carnes Lord’s translation and commentary on Aristotle’s Politics
 
One more suggestion:

Robert Bartlett and Susan Collins: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, a new translation and commentary.
 
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