Document Type
Article
Language
eng
Format of Original
21 p.
Publication Date
12-2004
Publisher
Elsevier
Source Publication
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
Source ISSN
0039-3681
Original Item ID
doi: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2004.04.001
Abstract
There is agreement neither concerning the point that is being made in Posterior analytics 96b15-25 nor the issue Aristotle intends to address. There are two major lines of interpretation of this passage. According to one, sketched by Themistius and developed by Philoponus and Eustratius, Aristotle is primarily concerned with determining the definitions of the infimae species that fall under a certain genus. They understand Aristotle as arguing that this requires collating definitional predictions, seeing which are common to which species. Pacius, on the other hand, takes Aristotle to be saying that a genus is studied scientifically through first determining the infimae species that fall under that genus. This interpretation attributes to Aristotle a distinction between primary and derivative subjects. I argue for Pacius's interpretation, defending it against Barnes's objections.
Recommended Citation
Goldin, Owen, "Atoms, Complexes, and Demonstration: Posterior Analytics 96b15-25" (2004). Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications. 137.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/phil_fac/137
Comments
Accepted version. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, Vol. 35, No. 4 (December 2004): 707-727. DOI. © 2004 Elsevier. Used with permission.
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, VOL 35, ISSUE 4, December 2004, DOI.