Introduction

Summary

Dante refers to Aristotle as “il maestro di color che sanno,” the master of those who know. But Aristotle typically refers to the works that have come down to us as ‘inquiries’ or ‘investigations,’ and in the pages that follow, I will make a case for Aristotle as “il maestro di color che cercano,” the master of those who inquire. The chapters to follow attempt to get clarity on Aristotle’s conception of inquiry, insofar as the goal of inquiry is scientific knowledge (ἐπιστήμη). Does Aristotle see inquiry, as he clearly sees explanation, as a process constrained by epistemic norms – norms of inquiry, as I am calling them? That is, given that Aristotle has clearly articulated ideas about what the goal of scientific inquiry looks like, does he also have clearly articulated norms that must be adhered to if one is to achieve that goal?