A History of Greek Thought through Aristotle’s Metaphysics Alpha

Led by Rogelio Toledo

1. Logistics & Schedule

• Instruction Language: Ancient Greek

• Day & Time: Saturdays (bi-weekly), 12:00–13:30 EDT / 18:00–19:30 (CET/CEST).

• Course Duration:

  • Start Date: September 5, 2026

  • End Date: January 9, 2027

• Lesson Structure:

  • Duration: 90 minutes per session

  • Total Instructional Hours: 15 hours total

2. Course Overview

• Abstract: This seminar examines Aristotle’s critical survey of early Greek speculative thought as presented in the inaugural book of the Metaphysics. Participants will trace the development of philosophy from its mythic and materialist origins to the formalization of Aristotelian causality.

• Comprehensive Description: Participants will engage with Aristotelian concepts and terminology through both a philological and philosophical lens. The course involves a rigorous analysis of the apparatus criticus, comparing original fragments of Pre-Socratic philosophers and poets with Aristotle’s subsequent interpretations. To elucidate complex passages and expand command of idiomatic Ancient Greek, the seminar will frequently consult the commentary of Alexander of Aphrodisias. Readings, including specific passages from Metaphysics Alpha and relevant secondary fragments, will be distributed two weeks prior to each session to ensure a deep, integrated understanding of the transition from historia to philosophia.

• Course Units:

  • Unit I (980a21–982a3): Intellectual curiosity as a fundamental instinct; the hierarchy of cognition from sensation to science (episteme).

  • Unit II (982a4–983a23): Defining "Wisdom" (Sophia): The general character of the highest intellectual activity.

  • Unit III (983a24–984b22): The analysis and classification of the fourfold system of causality.

  • Unit IV (984b23–985b22): The teleological turn: Identifying implicit hints of final causes in earlier writers.

  • Unit V (985b23–987b28): The Pythagorean worldview: Number as the ultimate constituent element of the universe.

  • Unit VI (987b29–988a16): The Platonic conviction: The nature of variable sensible things vs. the supra-sensible "Ideas."

  • Unit VII (988a18–988b21): Harmonizing the tradition: How earlier philosophies fit within the Aristotelian fourfold classification.

  • Unit VIII (988b22–990a32): A critique of Monistic Materialism and its inherent defects.

  • Unit IX (990a33–993a10): Dialectical objections to the Doctrine of Ideas and "Ideal Numbers."

  • Unit X (993a10–993a27): Conclusion: The emergence of the four causes in past speculation and the clarification of first principles.

3. Proficiency & Requirements

• Language Level:

  • Framework Reference: Designed for students who have completed Athenaze Vol. I & II.

  • General Description: Advanced level. Participants should be capable of auditory comprehension of the target language and possess the ability to explain complex philosophical passages using Ancient Greek.

• Estimated Self-Study Time:

  • Time Commitment: 1–2 hours per week.

  • Preparation Type: Students are expected to have completed an initial reading and translation of the assigned Greek text prior to the session.

4. Materials & Bibliography

• Required Textbooks:

  • Primary Text: Aristotelis Metaphysica, ed. Werner Jaeger (Oxford Classical Texts, 1957).

  • Commentary: Alexander of Aphrodisias, Commentary on Aristotle's Metaphysics, ed. Pantelis Golitsis (De Gruyter, 2022).

• Disclaimer: Specific readings and supplementary fragments will be provided by the instructor two weeks in advance. Access to the primary critical editions is recommended for full participation.