The report discusses the “exercises” mentioned in Aristotle’s “Topics”, which are declared to be one of the three purposes of this treatise (the others: conversations and the philosophiс sciences Top. 101a-25). The prevailing opinion in the 20th century literature academia is analyzed, according to which the exercises are considered to be a formalized discussion. (R. Robinson, G. Ryle, R. Smith). The report’s author is pointing out some of the interpretation’s difficulties and trying to show that such an understanding cannot be taken from the text of “Topics”.
     

Aristotle, “Topics”, dialectics, discussions, Plato’s Academy