PHL 550 Final: Aristotle: Substance and Quality
10 Apr 2017
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Despite spending 20 years studying under plato in athens, aristotle remained a highly original thinker who diverged from his teacher on many issues. For example, although plato insists that the unchanging forms exist separate from the changing material or sensible things, aristotle argues that forms are to be found within the sensible things. If you and i are both beautiful, it is not because we both approximate a detached but perfect beauty, but because the essential qualities of beauty are present within both of us. While plato believes the order and regularity of nature is imposed on otherwise chaotic matter from without, aristotle thinks regularities arise from within nature itself. Like plato, aristotle believes a reconciliation of sameness and change is possible, and that the right metaphysical account of the reality it will find a place for both. Aristotle"s view about change can be understood by using a grammatical or linguistic distinction.
