The Metaphysics of Aristotle

But of all his works, the following one—which, by its very nature, is the most sublime—perhaps excels no less in that accuracy of language, skill of arrangement, and richness of conception for which the Stagirite Stagirite: A title for Aristotle, referring to his birthplace, Stagira. is everywhere so remarkable. Yet, at the same time, it is equally distinguished from the rest by the profound obscurity in which the meaning of the greater part of it is involved.

Before offering further remarks on this work, it will perhaps be better, first, to present the reader with a classification of Aristotle’s books, so that it may be clear where his Metaphysics should be placed; second, to show what the goal of his philosophy is and which of his writings lead us toward this goal; third, what kind of language he employs; fourth, why he intentionally wrote with such obscurity; and fifth, what qualifications are required in a reader of the following work.

Of his remaining works, therefore, some are theoretic (contemplative), others practical, and others instrumental. Likewise, of those books which are entirely theoretic, some are theological, such as his Metaphysics; others are physical, such as his eight books titled Physical Auscultation and the books following that, such as those On the Heavens, On Generation and Corruption, etc.; and others, again, are mathematical, such as those on Mechanics and Indivisible Lines. In the same manner, regarding his practical writings, some are moral, such as his Nicomachean and Eudemian Ethics, and those titled Great Morals; or they are economic and political, as the books that carry those titles. Finally, of the books called instrumental, some are on the art of demonstration, such as his Last Analytics; others respect things that precede a knowledge of the demonstrative syllogism, such as his First Analytics, his book On Interpretation, and his Categories; and others, again, respect things which often become the subject of demonstration, or are subservient.