Book ChapterDOI
On the Ingredients of An Aristotelian Science
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In this article, the authors argue that the main lines of their argument for this thesis are four main lines: (i) that Aristotle's syllogistic theory, together with his belief that syllogisms are the universal tool of any sytematic science, naturally led him to a specific view of the ingredients of a science, and (ii) that the same result is reached by taking Aristotle up on his statement that "all sciences are based upon definitions".Abstract:
This paper is a part of a larger attempt to show that Aristotle held a consistent, fairly elaborate view as to what the different kinds of assumptions are that are needed in a science, how they are related to each other and to the idea of definition, and how they are obtained. I want to argue that Aristotle's different pronouncements on these subjects in the two Analytics hang together quite well, apart from some fluctuation of emphasis and of terminology. The main lines of my argument for this thesis are four. First, I want to point out that Aristotle's syllogistic theory, together with his belief that syllogisms are the universal tool of any sytematic science, naturally led him to a specific view of the ingredients of a science. One is almost tempted to say that Aristotle's views on the first principles of a science are predictable on the basis of his syllogistic theory, including his ideas of the role of existential presuppositions in syllogistic premisses. Secondly, it seems to me that the same result is reached by taking Aristotle up on his statement that "all sciences are based upon definitions" (Post. An. II, 17, 99a22-23). (In quoting Aristotle,read more
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Book ChapterDOI
Woman is Not a Rational Animal: On Aristotle’S Biology of Reproduction
TL;DR: The conservatism of Aristotle has long been a subject of discussion among philosophers, but his belief in the superiority of the male sex, while it has not entirely escaped their notice, has not thus far been carefully examined.
BookDOI
Aristotle on Principles as Elements
TL;DR: In this article, Moravcsik argues that the claim does not apply to deductions in general but only to scientific demonstrations and argues that these premises are elements, and hence material causes, of the theorems.
Book ChapterDOI
Inductive Explanation, Propensity, and Action
TL;DR: The inductive aspect of scientific explanation is often ignored in philosophical and methodological studies in sociological, psychological and historical explanation as discussed by the authors, and many critics of the deductive covering law model of explanation seem to implicitly assume that their arguments mutatis mutandis apply to inductive explanations as well.
Journal ArticleDOI
A Re-examination of Aristotle's Philosophy of Science
TL;DR: There have recently appeared some studies in which Aristotle's views on science are related to modern philosophical issues and distinctions, some articles in which a return to at least some of his ideas is suggested as a solution to certain modern problems, and also some advocacy of the essentialism or modal realism associated with the Aristotelian tradition as discussed by the authors.
Book ChapterDOI
Aristotle and Mathematics
TL;DR: This article explored the influence of mathematical sciences on Aristotle's metaphysics and philosophy of science and illustrated his use of mathematics in three important ways in his treatises, including using mathematics and mathematical sciences to construct mathematical arguments for various theses, especially in the physical writings, but also in the biology and ethics.