Aristotle's Concept of Attributes
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Questions and Answers

What is the main point Aristotle is trying to make about mathematics?

  • Mathematics is a science that studies the world of nature, but only as it relates to Platonic Forms.
  • Mathematics is a science that studies abstract Forms independent of the world of nature.
  • Mathematics is a science that studies certain abstractions from natural things, without supposing that such abstractions are themselves things. (correct)
  • Mathematics is a science that studies the world of nature as nature.
  • What is the example Aristotle uses to illustrate the concept of abstracting away from matter?

  • A perfect square
  • A circle
  • A straight line
  • A snub nose (correct)
  • What is the primary kind of being, according to Aristotle?

  • Quantity
  • Substance (correct)
  • Quality
  • Size
  • What is the relationship between mathematics and the world of nature, according to Aristotle?

    <p>Mathematics studies the world of nature as nature.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term that picks out substances and can play only the subject role in a statement?

    <p>Substance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between the way natural science and mathematics study the world of nature?

    <p>Natural science studies the world of nature as nature, while mathematics studies it as abstract Forms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the concept that Aristotle uses to illustrate the idea that we can consider attributes of things independently of the things themselves?

    <p>The concept of Curvedness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the implication of Aristotle's view of mathematics for the existence of Platonic Forms?

    <p>It implies that the existence of Platonic Forms is irrelevant to the intelligibility of mathematics.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Aristotle, what is the primary sense in which things exist?

    <p>As quantities, qualities, affections, or something else of this kind</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why does Aristotle reject Plato's Forms?

    <p>Because they do not satisfy the requirement of independent existence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between qualities and individual substances, according to Aristotle?

    <p>Qualities are attributes of individual substances</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main argument for the Forms that Aristotle wishes to avoid?

    <p>The Mathematical Argument</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Aristotle deal with mathematics?

    <p>By separating attributes from movement</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between the way natural scientists and mathematicians study attributes?

    <p>Natural scientists study attributes as limits of natural bodies, while mathematicians do not</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Epistemological Argument, according to the text?

    <p>An argument for the Forms that Aristotle examines in the following section</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between Aristotle's view of reality and Plato's view of reality?

    <p>Aristotle believes in individual substances, while Plato believes in the Forms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Conceptual Separation of Attributes

    • Attributes of objects can be analyzed in isolation, without assuming they exist independently.
    • Example: A snub nose comprises form and matter; the curve can be abstracted without needing an independent "Curvedness."
    • Mathematics depends on abstract concepts rather than requiring separate Forms, as per Aristotle's view.

    Substance and Form

    • Aristotle distinguishes between different uses of "being", emphasizing that the essence of a thing (its substance) is primary.
    • Additional characteristics, like qualities or quantities, are secondary and only exist in relation to the substance.
    • Individual substances possess independent existence, unlike Plato’s Forms, which Aristotle critiques.

    Rejection of Platonic Forms

    • Plato’s Forms are perceived as common features of individual entities but lack independent existence, according to Aristotle.
    • Qualities like "mortal" or "flat tail" are modifications of individual substances rather than independent entities.
    • The existence of abstract entities beyond individual things remains an open question.

    Mathematics and Quality

    • Plato's conclusion that Socrates speaks of ideal geometric forms (e.g., Square Itself) is challenged by Aristotle.
    • Mathematicians study shapes and measurements separately from their physical manifestations, treating them as abstract concepts.
    • Unlike natural scientists, mathematicians investigate attributes without considering their dependence on physical bodies or movements.

    Critique of Plato’s Metaphysics

    • Aristotle critiques Plato's metaphysics, arguing that the fundamental realities must be individual and exist independently.
    • Common features of objects do not constitute independent Forms but are dependent on the substantial qualities of individual entities.
    • The dialogue sets the stage for further exploration of mathematical concepts and their relationship with reality.

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    Description

    Understanding the concept of attributes in Aristotle's philosophy, using the example of a snub nose to illustrate the separation of form and matter.

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