PHIL 482/612: Aristotle’s Generation of Animals
Fall 2023
Calendar Course Description: An in-depth study of principle figures or important topics in ancient Greek or Roman philosophy.
This course is dedicated to Aristotle’s Generation of Animals. We’ll discuss how Aristotle’s account of animal reproduction illuminates broader issues in his natural philosophy and metaphysics, including his hylomorphism, his natural teleology, and his scientific methodology. We’ll also take up numerous questions peculiar to this treatise, including: What, for Aristotle, is the mechanism by which an animal’s form is transmitted to its offspring? How does he explain why children resemble their parents more than they do the average adult? Why does Aristotle think sexual reproduction is in some sense better than asexual reproduction? How does he conceive of the difference between the sexes? of their characteristic contributions to the reproductive process? At what point in its development does he think an embryo has its own nature? How should we understand the role of this nature in the embryo’s self-fashioning? What are natural deformities, and how are they explained? Readings from the Generation of Animals will be supplemented by selections from throughout Aristotle, as well as relevant secondary materials.
- Teacher: EMILY PERRY