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> I would argue, however, that Aristotle (and many of the ancient philosophers) are actually very valuable to read precisely because of their historical impact,
by Chathamization 10y ago
> I would argue, however, that Aristotle (and many of the ancient philosophers) are actually very valuable to read precisely because of their historical impact, and how their works shaped the course of human thought for millennia.
You could make the same argument for theology, yet you rarely hear people talk about the importance of reading someone like Irenaeus (for example). And if someone like that is studied, it's often looking at their historical context and their historical impact, rather than someone like Aristotle where the focus is often on the works itself. You don't see many people saying we should be reading and arguing Irenaeus' theological theories.
A class on Aristotelian epistemology is not a class on "Western thought," and trying to mask the former by disguising it as the later only suggests that there isn't a terribly great reason to study it.
- glenstein 10y agoI wouldn't equate Aristotelian epistemology to "Western Thought", but I could surely imagine a course on the history of western thought that took Aristotle's treatment of epistemology (or whatever else) as an important landmark.
- Chathamization 10y agoSure. I once took a course on modern Iranian history that had us read Khomeini's "Islamic Government." But that's very different from how the book would be studied in an Iranian seminary. A historical look is interested in how something ties into the surrounding history, and doesn't pass judgement on the quality of the writing or spend time trying to determine its soundness.
- glenstein 10y agoIt sounds like we agree more than we disagree. I would substitute a term like "ties into" for "influenced/gave rise to/made possible." We don't really need to know much about the merits of any particular Aristotelian investigation these days. But that material can be critical for helping us understand, and yes, helping us critically evaluate, the schools of thought it gave rise to.