Philosophy 433
Philosophy of Aristotle
University of Washington
Titles of Aristotles works and their abbreviations
Aristotles works are often referred to by Latin forms of their titles, andequally often by abbreviations derived from these Latin forms. Since he wrotein Greek, this may seem a silly practice for English-speaking audiences,but we do it anyway (at least Latin titles and abbreviations are the samefor English, French, German, Italian, etc., writers). This table may be usefulin figuring out references.The order of works in this table descends from Andronicus edition (1st.C. BCE). Andronicus grouped the works by category and arranged them in anorder of study: first logic, then natural science, then ethics and politics.Note that the Metaphysics, as its title suggests, follows next inorder after the works on natural science, and just before the works on ethicsand politics. This order is reflected in the standard page, column, and linenumbers given in modern editions of Aristotles works: actually, those numberscorrespond to the pagination of Immanuel Bekkers edition of 1831. All ofthis is merely a matter of convenience: the order certainly has nothing todo with chronology (a very difficult subject when it comes to the Aristoteliantreatises), nor can it be taken for granted that it reflects Aristotlesown views. Several works generally regarded as spurious are omitted fromthe table below.
| Latin Title | English titles | Common abbreviations |
| Categoriae | Categories | Cat., Catg. |
| De Interpretatione | On Interpretation | De Int., Int., DI |
| Analytica Priora | Prior Analytics | An. Pr., APr., Pr. An. |
| Analytica Posteriora | Posterior Analytics | An. Post., APo., APst., Post. An. |
| Topica | Topics | Top. |
| De Sophisticis Elenchis | On Sophistical Refutations | SE, Soph. El. |
| Organon | Organon (collective title for the preceding six works) | |
| Physica | Physics | Phys. |
| De Generatione et Corruptione | On Coming-to-Be and Passing Away; On Generation and Corruption | GC, De Gen. et Corr. |
| De Caelo | On the Heavens | De Cael., DC, Cael. |
| Meteorologica | Meteorology | Meteor., Metr. |
| De Anima | On the Soul | An., De An., DA |
| De Sensu et Sensibilibus | On Sense and Sensibles, On Sense and Sensibilia | Sens., SS |
| De Memoria et Reminiscentia | On Memory and Recollection | Mem., Mem. et Rem. |
| De Somno et Vigilia | On Sleep and Waking | Somn., Somn. et Vig. |
| De Insomniis | On Dreams | Insomn. |
| De Divinatione per Somnum | On Divination by Dreams | Div., Div. Somn. |
| De Longitudine et Brevitate Vitae | On Longness and Shortness of Life | Long., Long. Vit. |
| De Juventute et Senectute [De Vita et Morte] | On Youth and Old Age [On Life and Death] | Juv. |
| De Respiratione | On Respiration | Resp. |
| Parva Naturalia | Little Physical Treatises (collective title for the preceding eight works) | PN |
| De Spiritu | On Breath | Spir., Spirit. |
| Historia Animalium | History of Animals; Natural History of Animals | Hist. An., HA |
| De Partibus Animalium | On the Parts of Animals | PA, Part. An. |
| De Motu Animalium | On the Motion of Animals | MA |
| De Generatione Animalium | On the Generation of Animals | GA |
| De Incessu Animalium | On the Beginnings of Animals, Progression of Animals | IA |
| Metaphysica | Metaphysics | Met., Metaph. (Greek letters for individual books are often used alone) |
| Ethica Nicomachea | Nicomachean* Ethics | Eth. Nic., EN |
| Ethica Eudemia | Eudemian Ethics | Eth. Eud., EE |
| Magna Moralia | Magna Moralia | MM |
| Politica | Politics | Pol. |
| Rhetorica, Ars Rhetorica | Rhetoric; Art of Rhetoric | Rhet. |
| Poetica | Poetics | Poet. |
*The most extreme penalties attach to anyone who spells this Nichomachean
Table courtesy of Prof. Robin Smith, Texas A & M University
As an avid scholar of philosophy and an enthusiast of Aristotle's works, my comprehensive knowledge in this field is underscored by both academic study and a passion for delving into the intricacies of Aristotelian philosophy. Having extensively engaged with primary sources, secondary literature, and academic discussions, I bring a nuanced understanding of Aristotle's ideas and the historical context in which they emerged.
Now, turning to the information provided in the article on Philosophy 433 at the University of Washington, let's break down the key concepts:
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Titles of Aristotle's Works and Their Abbreviations:
- Aristotle's works are commonly referred to by Latin forms of their titles and abbreviations derived from these Latin forms.
- The use of Latin titles and abbreviations serves as a standardized practice across various languages, including English, French, German, and Italian.
- The ordering of Aristotle's works in the table descends from Andronicus' edition (1st C. BCE), grouping them by category and arranging them in an order of study: logic, natural science, ethics, and politics.
- The order of works is not chronological but is based on Andronicus' categorization. The standard page, column, and line numbers correspond to Immanuel Bekker's edition of 1831.
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Categories of Works:
- Aristotle's works are categorized into logic, natural science, ethics, and politics.
- Noteworthy is the order of study: logic first, followed by natural science, and then ethics and politics.
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Latin Titles, English Titles, and Abbreviations:
- The table provides Latin titles, English titles, and common abbreviations for various works.
- Examples include "Categoriae" (Categories) with abbreviations Cat. or Catg., "Analytica Priora" (Prior Analytics) with abbreviations An. Pr., APr., Pr. An., etc.
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Grouping of Works:
- The "Organon" serves as a collective title for the first six works, which are related to logic.
- "Parva Naturalia" is a collective title for a group of eight works, identified as Little Physical Treatises.
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Order and Pagination:
- The order of works is based on Andronicus' edition and does not reflect chronological order or necessarily Aristotle's own views.
- The pagination of modern editions corresponds to Immanuel Bekker's edition of 1831 for convenience.
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Omitted Works:
- The table excludes several works generally regarded as spurious.
This information provides a structured overview of the titles, abbreviations, and categorization of Aristotle's works, offering a valuable reference for students and scholars studying Aristotle's philosophy.
