A massive collection of questions and answers on topics ranging from medicine and music to mathematics and meteorology. The Problemata represents the inquiring spirit of the Aristotelian school at its most wide-ranging, asking why bodies sweat, why the sea is salty, and why some notes harmonise.
Start ReadingMedical problems. Why do certain diseases recur? Why does fever produce thirst? Aristotle examines questions about health, illness, and the body.
Problems connected with perspiration. Why do people sweat more in certain conditions? What determines whether sweat is warm or cold?
Problems connected with wine and drunkenness. Why does wine make people reckless? Why do drunkards tremble? Why does drinking water after wine make intoxication worse?
Problems connected with sexual intercourse. Why does sexual activity cause fatigue? What are its effects on the body and temperament?
Problems connected with fatigue and weariness. Why does exercise make the body tired? Why is rest restorative? What is the physiology of exhaustion?
Problems connected with bodily position and posture. Why do some postures cause numbness? Why is standing more tiring than walking?
Problems connected with harmony, sympathy, and affinity. Why do certain things go together naturally? Questions at the intersection of physics and aesthetics.
Problems connected with the cold, including shivering and freezing. Why does cold make people pale? Why do the extremities feel cold first?
Problems connected with bruises, welts, and scars. Why do bruises change colour? Why do blows swell? How do wounds heal?
A summary collection of miscellaneous natural problems that do not fit neatly into the other sections.
Problems connected with the voice. Why do some people have deep voices and others high? What affects vocal quality and power?
Problems connected with fragrant and unpleasant smells. Why do some things smell sweeter when heated? What causes body odour?
Problems connected with astringent and bitter substances. Why do some foods pucker the mouth? What is the physiology of taste sensations?
Problems connected with mixture, proportion, and contact. Why do combined substances behave differently from their components?
Problems connected with mathematics and mathematical reasoning.
Problems connected with inanimate objects, including physical phenomena in everyday experience.
Further problems connected with inanimate objects and their physical behaviours.
Problems connected with philology, learning, and education. Why is study tiring? What aids memory?
Problems connected with music. Why do certain intervals sound harmonious? Why does rhythm produce pleasure? The most extensive treatment of musical theory in the Problemata.
Problems connected with shrubs and garden plants. Why do some plants grow better in shade? What determines the flavour of herbs?
Problems connected with barley meal, barley bread, and related foods.
Problems connected with fruit. Why do some fruits ripen faster? What causes differences in sweetness and acidity?
Problems connected with salt water and the sea. Why is the sea salty? Why does salt water not support plant growth?
Problems connected with hot water and bathing. Why does hot water soften things? What are the effects of bathing on the body?
Problems connected with the air. Why does air become humid? What causes changes in atmospheric conditions?
Problems connected with the winds. Why do different winds bring different weather? Why are some winds hot and others cold?
Problems connected with fear and courage. What causes trembling from fear? Why does fear chill the body?
Problems connected with self-control and incontinence, and the relationship between reason and desire.
Problems connected with justice and injustice, and the nature of moral action.
Problems connected with prudence, intellect, and wisdom. What makes someone wise? How does understanding differ from cleverness?
Problems connected with the eyes and vision. Why do people see double when drunk? Why do the eyes water in wind?
Problems connected with the ears and hearing. Why do sounds seem louder at night? Why does buzzing occur in the ears?
Problems connected with the nose and smell. Why do people sneeze? Why does a cold impair the sense of smell?
Problems connected with the mouth, taste, and the palate. Why do some flavours linger and others fade quickly?
Problems connected with touch and bodily sensation. Why does touch vary in sensitivity across different parts of the body?
Problems connected with the face and its expressions. Why do people blush? Why does fear make the face pale?
Problems connected with the body as a whole — its proportions, symmetry, and general physical characteristics.
Problems connected with complexion and skin colour. Why do some people tan while others burn? What causes freckles?