Mílétská filosofie jako aristotelská konstrukce - Studie o základních pojmech a představách – Hobza Pavel (2019)

All that has survived from the three Milesian thinkers (Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes) are mere indirect testimonies, primarily derived from two sources: Aristotle and his student Theophrastus. Due to the lack of other reports, the preserved information is mostly considered credible. Pavel Hobza, on the other hand, is convinced that they are often significantly distorted and that the degree of their distortion can be assessed through a thorough analysis of Aristotelian philosophy. When interpreting Milesian thought, according to Hobza, we must always ask whether the alleged Milesian terminology is actually more of an Aristotelian interpretation. Unlike other studies on the Milesians, the main advantage of Hobza's book lies in the fact that it first thoroughly engages with Aristotelian philosophy and only then approaches the examination of the preserved information about the Milesians. It is confirmed that the search for the primal substance (which was previously considered the main feature of Milesian thought) is merely an Aristotelian construct. Moreover, it turns out that Anaximander did not know the concept of the Unlimited (to apeiron) and that Anaximenes' concept of aér did not primarily denote transparent atmospheric air, but rather a moist mist from which the world emerged. Thus, Hobza considers the main philosophical contribution of the Milesians to be...