Lexington Books Two Metaphysical Naturalisms: Aristotle and Justus Buchler

Two Metaphysical Naturalisms: Aristotle and Justus Buchler provides an American naturalist reading of Aristotle's "Metaphysics" with extensive literary-philological considerations of the original Greek text. Victorino Tejera defines and evaluates the underpinnings of the systematic metaphysics of Justus Buchler through the American tradition of reading Aristotle. The book expands on classical Greek thought and develops a matured stance on Aristotle's modes of knowing and Justus Buchler's systematic metaphysics. Tejera extracts from the Aristotelian-Peripatetic metaphysics the core of Aristotle's discussion of existence as existence by keeping track of the Peripatetic and Platonist interpolations of the editors who brought the text into being. The book also summarizes Buchler's Metaphysics of Natural Complexes in less technical terms to make it more accessible. With the help of Justus Buchler, Tejera reintroduces the concept of metaphysics as coordinative analysis. Finally bridging the classical with the modern, Tejera reveals a cohesive revitalization of metaphysical naturalism for contemporary scholars and students of both ancient and modern philosophy. Review Two Metaphysical Naturalisms: Aristotle and Justus Buchler is an important scholarly contribution to both Aristotle studies and an often-neglected strain of American philosophy, "Columbia naturalism". Tejera convincingly demonstrates important philosophical connections between these fields of scholarship and his detailed treatment of Aristotle's texts, especially those that have come down to us as the Metaphysics, is an exemplar of careful textual analysis, sensitive to both the Greek language of its time and the philosophical debates that swirled around the master in the decades following his death. We are privileged to find in this volume a fine treatment of Justus Buchler, as well, and Tejera's work will be an important addition to the literature.--Armen T. Marsoobian, Southern Connecticut State University This book is an indispensable resource for understanding both Aristotle and American naturalism as developed by Justus Buchler. Victorino Tejera and his editor have given us a much needed and illuminating commentary on Aristotle's Metaphysics that frees it from overly transcendental and theological interpretations by drawing on Buchler's radically pluralistic concepts of natural complexes and ontological parity--Gary Shapiro, Tucker-Boatwright Professor in the Humanities-Philosophy, University of Richmond A work of loving students for their teachers: a tale of the mission by dedicated mid-twentieth century professors at Columbia University to rescue Aristotle for modern readers, with insights on human nature, human knowledge, and the literary transmission of philosophy.--James A. Arieti, Hampden-Sydney College About the Author Victorino Tejera is emeritus professor of philosophy and humanities at Stony Brook University.