The Priority of Locomotion in Aristotle's Physics

The book inquires into Aristotle’s claim that of the four kinds of change that exist—i.e. change of quantity, quality, substance, and place—the latter, that is locomotion, is the most fundamental and important kind and thus is primary in various ways with respect to the other kinds of change.In a first step, the author shows that the arguments for the thesis of locomotion’s priority—contrary to what scholars have stated—play a crucial role in the argument of Physics VIII and for the understanding of Aristotle’s philosophy of nature in general.The main focus of the book lies on the thorough and careful reconstruction and analysis of the arguments Aristotle presents in Physics VIII for the various ways in which locomotion has priority over the other kinds of change.In the course of this discussion, the book also develops new insights on the relation between the different kinds of change and sheds new light on Aristotle’s general theory of change—the phenomenon that is fundamental to all study of nature.