On “Natural” (ΦΥΣΙΚΟΝ) in the Nicomachean Ethics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21303707 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Allison Murphy (0000-0002-6631-0381, Carleton College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 121 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 405-422 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Classical Philology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0009-837X • E-ISSN: 1546-072X |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/741449 |
| OpenAlex | W7166841572 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
There has been little systematic work done on Aristotle’s use of the term “natural” (φυσικόν) in the Nicomachean Ethics. This study reveals that nearly all instances of the term or its cognates fall within one or both of two groups. In the first, φυσικόν applies to a property or process marked by spontaneity in contrast to a property or process that involves deliberation or demonstration. In the second, what is φυσικόν is regularly linked to some human commonality, where context suggests that the commonality is due to the presence of a generic nature considered apart from the formative influences of habituation, education, or deliberation. This study is a step on the way to a better understanding of two difficult accounts of the value of friends in Eth. Nic. IX.7 and IX.9, which respectively speak of a “more natural [φυσικώτερον] cause” and of “examining the question more naturally [φυσικώτερον].”
Period (music) · Byzantine Studies and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Philosophy and Thought
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |