Aristotle on Language and Style

The Concept of Lexis

Ana Kotarcic

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9781108499521
• eBook ISBN:
  9781108606639
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ancient & Classical Philosophy

This is the first systematic analysis of Aristotle's concept of lexis. Ana Kotarcic argues that it should be approached on three interconnected levels: the first dealing with language as a system, the second with actual language usage, into which sociolinguistic factors come into play, and the third with prescriptions for the kind of language to be used in poetic and rhetorical compositions. She introduces ideas and concepts from classics and modern linguistics into the analysis alongside the philosophical approaches which have prevailed until now. The results reveal that Aristotle's ideas on lexis are complex, well-developed and intimately connected to many other fundamental concepts in his works, such as aret?, energeia, ?thos, logos, mim?sis, pathos, phantasia and techn?. A major component of his thought is therefore illuminated comprehensively for the first time.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Tables
• Preface
• List of Abbreviations and Conventions
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 On the Way to Aristotle’s Concept of Lexis
• Chapter 2 The First Level of Lexis: Aristotle’s Fundamentals of Language
• Chapter 3 The Second Level of Lexis: Language in Use
• Chapter 4 The Third Level of Lexis: Its Intra-textual Aspect
• Chapter 5 The Third Level of Lexis: Its Extra-textual Aspect
• Chapter 6 Metaphor Revisited
• Appendix Lexis in Plato’s Republic 3.392c7–398b8
• Bibliography
• Index Locorum
• Index Verborum Graecorum
• Index Generalis