Single Idea 13735

[catalogued under 7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / g. Particular being]

Full Idea

In Aristotle's 'Metaphysics' virtually no existence questions are posed, and the whole discussion is about substances (fundamental units of being).

Gist of Idea

Aristotle discusses fundamental units of being, rather than existence questions

Source

report of Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], id) by Jonathan Schaffer - On What Grounds What 1

Book Reference

'Metametaphysics', ed/tr. Chalmers/Manley/Wasserman [OUP 2009], p.348


A Reaction

This means that the basic metaphysical question is actually about identity, though Schaffer claims that it is about grounding. Why would we care about grounding? Aristotle cares most about what makes a thing the thing it is.

Related Idea

Idea 13734 Modern Quinean metaphysics is about what exists, but Aristotelian metaphysics asks about grounding [Schaffer,J]