"The first five chapters of Aristotle's De Generatione et Corruptione distinguish creation and destruction from mere qualitative change and from growth." "But what inspires Philoponus most in his commentary on these chapters is the topic of organic growth. How does it take place without ingested matter getting into the same place as the growing body? And how is personal identity preserved, if our matter is always in flux, and our form depends on our matter? If we do not depend on the persistence of matter why are we not immortal? Analogous problems of identity arise also for inanimate beings." "These topics of identity over time and the principles of causation are still matters of intense philosophical discussion."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved