De mundo is a protreptic to philosophy in the form of a letter to Alexander the Great and is traditionally ascribed to Aristotle. It offers a unique view of the cosmos, God and their relationship, which was inspired by Aristotle but written by a later author. The author provides an outline of cosmology, geography and meteorology, only to argue that a full understanding of the cosmos cannot be achieved without a proper grasp of God as its ultimate cause. To ensure such a grasp, the author provides a series of twelve carefully chosen interlocking analogies, building a complex picture in the reader's mind. The work develops a distinctly Aristotelian picture of God and the cosmos while paying tribute to pre-Aristotelian philosophers and avoiding open criticism of rival schools of philosophy. De mundo exercised considerable influence in late antiquity and then in the Renaissance and Early Modern times.
| ISBN: | 9781108819855 |
| Publication date: | 10th March 2022 |
| Author: | Aristotle |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 257 pages |
| Genres: |
Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy History Philosophy Philosophical traditions and schools of thought |