David Charles

David has published on a wide range of topics within Philosophy, specializing mainly on Aristotle. He has written monographs on Aristotle’s philosophy of action, his discussion of meaning, definition and explanation in the Analytics and his view of the psychological in De Anima. His most recent work has focused on the central books of Aristotle’s Metaphysics on which he and Michael Peramatzis are currently preparing a monograph entitled ‘The Metaphysics in the Metaphysics’. He is now returning to themes in Aristotle’s moral psychology and ethical theory which will be the subject of the joint seminar Chris Bobonich and he will give in Stanford in 2026.

In 2024, David Bronstein, Thomas Johansen and Michael Peramatzis co-edited ‘Aristotelian Metaphysics: Essays in Honour of David Charles’ (Oxford).

Select Publications

• The Undivided Self: Aristotle and the ‘Mind-body problem’ (Oxford, 2021)

• The History of Hylomorphism: from Aristotle to Descartes (ed. Oxford 2023)

• Definition in Greek Philosophy (ed. Oxford 2010)

• Aristotle on Meaning and Essence (Oxford 2000)

• Aristotle’s Metaphysics Lambda (co-edited with Michael Frede: Oxford 2000)

• Wittgensteinan Themes: Essays in Honour of David Pears (co-edited with T.W.Child: Oxford 2001)

• Unity, Identity and Explanation in Aristotle’s Metaphysics (co-edited with T. Scaltsas and M. L. Gill: Oxford 1994)

• Reduction, Explanation and Realism (co-edited with Kathleen Lennon: Oxford 1992)

• Aristotle’s Philosophy of Action (Duckworths, London 1984)