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Single Idea 12347

[filed under theme 7. Existence / E. Categories / 3. Proposed Categories ]

Full Idea

The immediate divisions of that which is are genera, and there will be one science for each genus.

Gist of Idea

The immediate divisions of that which is are genera, each with its science

Source

Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1004a04)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Metaphysics', ed/tr. Lawson-Tancred,Hugh [Penguin 1998], p.82


A Reaction

This is robustly realist, and right at the heart of Aristotle's philosophy. It explains why essences and forms must be given through genera and differentiae, even though essences are individual. Genera are the only way to identify things.


The 23 ideas with the same theme [actual suggestions for structure of categories]:

Substance,Quantity,Quality,Relation,Place,Time,Being-in-a-position,Having,Doing,Being affected [Aristotle, by Westerhoff]
The categories (substance, quality, quantity, relation, action, passion, place, time) peter out inconsequentially [Benardete,JA on Aristotle]
There are ten basic categories for thinking about things [Aristotle]
The immediate divisions of that which is are genera, each with its science [Aristotle]
There are ten categories: essence, quantity, quality, relation, place, time, position, state, activity, passivity [Aristotle]
Stoics categories are Substrate, Quality, Disposition, and Relation [Chrysippus, by Pasnau]
Stoics have four primary categories: substrates, qualities, dispositions, relative dispositions [Stoic school, by Simplicius]
Substance, Quantity and Quality are real; other categories depend on those three [Henry of Ghent]
Have five categories - substance, quantity, quality, action/passion, relation - and their combinations [Leibniz]
The Theory of Description dropped classes and numbers, leaving propositions, individuals and universals [Russell, by Monk]
Four classes of terms: instants, points, terms at instants only, and terms at instants and points [Russell]
Chisholm divides things into contingent and necessary, and then individuals, states and non-states [Chisholm, by Westerhoff]
Animal classifications: the Emperor's, fabulous, innumerable, like flies, stray dogs, embalmed…. [Wiggins]
The three categories in ontology are objects, properties and relations [Molnar]
I see the 'role'/'occupant' distinction as fundamental to metaphysics [Lycan]
Logic is based either on separate objects and properties, or objects as combinations of properties [Jacquette]
Reduce states-of-affairs to object-property combinations, and possible worlds to states-of-affairs [Jacquette]
All facts are either physical, experiential, laws of nature, second-order final facts, or indexical facts about me [Chalmers]
The top division of categories is either abstract/concrete, or universal/particular, or necessary/contingent [Lowe]
Lowe divides things into universals and particulars, then kinds and properties, and abstract/concrete [Lowe, by Westerhoff]
The main categories of existence are either universal and particular, or abstract and concrete [Lowe]
Just individuals in Nominalism; add sets for Extensionalism; add properties, concepts etc for Intensionalism [Orenstein]
All systems have properties and relations, and most have individuals, abstracta, sets and events [Westerhoff]