Harry Austryn Wolfson
Crescas' Critique of Aristotle: Problems of Aristotle's "Physics" in Jewish and Arabic Philosophy.
Harvard University Press, 1971. Harvard Semetic series, Volume VI. Second printing. xvi/759 pages.
Volume, measuring approximately 6.5" x 9.25", is bound in dark blue cloth, with stamped gilt lettering to spine. Book shows shelfwear, with cup circle stain on front cover. Binding is firm. Pencil markings are present throughout preface and from pages 1-6 and 25-26. Interior is otherwise clean and without markings.
"In form this work is a study of certain portions of Hasdai Crescas' "Or Adonai" ("The Light of the Lord"). In substance it is a historical and critical investigation of the main problems of Aristotle's "Physics" and "De Caelo". Its material, largely unpublished, is drawn from the general field of Jewish philosophy and from related works in Arabic philosophy, such as the writings of Avicenna and Algazali, and particularly the commentaries of Averrroes on Aristotle. The scope of this work, confined as it is to a closely interdependent group of writings, did not call for citations from works outside the field of Greek, Arabic and Jewish philosophy. Yet the material is such that the discussion of the history of the various problems will furnish a background for corresponding discussions of the same problems in scholastic philosophy. The notes, which form the greater part of the work, are detachable from the text and can be used in connection with similar texts in other works. many of the notes exceed the bounds of mere explanatory comments, being in fact extended investigations of the development of certain philosophic concepts by means of a study of interpretation and criticism to which Aristotle's writings were subjected in two forms of mediaval philosophic literature - the Arabic and the Hebrew."