Aristotle: From Logic to Life — Season 1, Episode 2: Aristotle's Logic
Documentary, Talk • 59 min • 1 season, 8 episodes
Episode synopsis
In lecture two, we explore Aristotle’s groundbreaking work in logic, focusing on the Organon, which formalized human reasoning and shaped logical thought for over two millennia. We examine the laws of thought, syllogistic reasoning, and the distinction between validity and soundness. Dr. Orr concludes by introducing his four causes and his theory of change as the movement from potentiality to actuality, linking logic to natural philosophy and metaphysics.
About Aristotle: From Logic to Life
In Aristotle: From Logic to Life, an eight-hour course, Dr. Orr explores Aristotle's comprehensive philosophical system, tracing his life, empirical methodology, and key contributions to logic, metaphysics, ethics, politics, and poetics. We examine his theories of substance, causation, virtue ethics, eudaimonia (human thriving), political life, and his analysis of tragedy and catharsis. The course follows his impact from medieval rediscovery and tensions with monotheism to contemporary revivals, showing why Aristotle remains a vital guide for modern philosophy.