Parts of Animals
by Aristotle · Περὶ ζῴων μορίων
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 345 BCE
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Short · 115 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume 1, translated by Jonathan Barnes (ed.)Princeton University Press, 1984The revised Oxford translation of the whole biological corpus in one volume.
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Aristotle's explanation of why animals have the parts they do. Book I is a manifesto for biology as a science, arguing that explanation must start from the purpose a part serves rather than from the matter it is made of, and defending the study of humble creatures. Books II to IV go through blood, flesh, bone, organs and limbs across the animal kinds, asking in each case what the part is for.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Parts of Animals are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
