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Concept
On the Universe
Summary
On the Universe (Περὶ Κόσμου; De Mundo) is a theological and scientific treatise included in the Corpus Aristotelicum but usually regarded as spurious. It was likely published between and the . The work discusses cosmological, geological, and meteorological subjects, alongside a consideration of the role an independent god plays in maintaining the universe.
According to Johan C. Thom, De Mundo "attempts to provide an explanation of the role of god in preserving and maintaining the cosmos while at the same time upholding the notion of his transcendence and independence." This view is decidedly non-Aristotlean, given that Aristotle believed in a non-transcendent unmoved mover. While the work is mostly in the Peripatetic style established by Aristotle, elements of Platonic, Stoic, and Neopythagorean philosophy permeates it (which Thom argues is indicative of its post-Aristotlean authorship). Alongside its theological considerations, it also discusses cosmological, geological, and meteorological subjects.
Doubts about the authorship of De Mundo were already expressed in antiquity: when Proclus mentioned the work in one of his commentaries he added "if the book De Mundo is by him". In the Middle Ages, it was widely believed that De Mundo was a genuine product of Aristotle. The notable exception was the 12th-century philosopher Maimonides who rejected it outright. Doubts were expressed again in the 15th and 16th centuries, and it became common to reject the work in the 17th century. General agreement to deny Aristotle's authorship was reached in the 19th century, with only a few voices dissenting since then.
The main reasons to reject the work are:
Differences in language and style, including the use of words unrecorded until the 3rd-century BCE
Many minor points of philosophical doctrine which differ from Aristotle (such as the idea that air is moist and cold in book 2)
A theological position which diverges in certain respects from that of Aristotle — in particular an emphasis on a trascendent god, who, although outside of the universe, is nevertheless present and active everywhere in it.
Official source
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