The Esoteric Aristotle, Part 2
Moving on from the Aristotle whom we met in the previous episode undergoing a process of ‘esotericisation’ in late antiquity, we come to two rather different Pseudo-Aristotles who arose to great prominence in the middle ages.
Primary Sources
egerton ms 2900
The Viaticum serves as a direct guide for diagnosing and treating the human body by balancing the four humors. It moves from common scalp issues to the deeper ailments of the heart and mind, providing specific pharmacological and lifestyle remedies for each. Constantine the African dismisses armchai
The Secret of Secrets and Other Philosophical Treatises
The Secret of Secrets gathers centuries of medical, political, and philosophical tradition under the guise of Aristotle mentoring Alexander the Great. It argues that a leader must govern his own biology with the same rigor he applies to his kingdom. The text connects the four elements, the balance o
Nicomachean Ethics (with Averroes' Commentary)
This volume presents Aristotle's primary investigations into ethics and politics, refined by the historical commentary of Averroes and the editorial precision of Leonardo Bruni. The text moves beyond abstract theory to define the human function as an active expression of reason. It rejects the idea
The Secret of Secrets of Aristotle to Alexander the Great
The 'Secretum Secretorum' stands as one of the most influential 'Mirrors for Princes' in history, presented as a private correspondence between the philosopher Aristotle and his greatest pupil, Alexander the Great. This text is far more than a political manual; it is a labyrinthine guide to the Herm
The Book of Causes
The 'Book of Causes' (Liber de Causis) is perhaps the most influential 'fraud' in intellectual history—a 9th-century Arabic synthesis of Proclus's Neoplatonism that medieval scholars mistakenly revered as the culmination of Aristotelian metaphysics. This text offers a radical vision of a universe or
The Philosophy of Averroes
In 'Philosophy of Averroes,' the legendary polymath Ibn Rushd presents a revolutionary defense of the intellect within the framework of religious law. He boldly claims that the Quran mandates the use of logic and demonstration, positioning philosophy as the 'milk-sister' of divine revelation. By cat