Aristotle's Metaphysics Overview

The state of being fully realized or existing, as opposed to potential.

The state of possibility or capability of becoming something else, not yet fully realized.

Actuality is prior to potentiality in terms of substance, meaning that the end goal or final form of something exists prior to its actualization.

Actuality comes before potentiality in terms of time. The final state or end product comes after the initial potential.

Aristotle believes knowledge comes from experience, which is refined by intellect.

Plato believed that knowledge pre-exists and is drawn out through experience and learning.

Plato's theory that there are ideal, perfect Forms that exist independently of physical objects, which can only be accessed through intellectual understanding.

Aristotle's response to Plato's theory, rejecting the existence of separate Forms, asserting that reality is primary, and individual substances are the highest level of existence.

Wisdom, according to Aristotle, is the understanding of the "why" behind things, seeking the first causes and principles of reality. It's about understanding the essence of being, focusing on the ultimate nature of existence, which Aristotle believes is divine.

Univocal speech uses the same word in the same sense, referring to the same thing. Equivocal speech uses the same word for two unrelated things, with no common meaning. Analogy of proportion is when two things stand to one another in the same way (the relationship is the same). Analogy of relation occurs when two things have a relationship to the same thing (the term is the same).

It is the fundamental principle that a thing cannot be and not be at the same time and in the same respect. It is a foundational principle of logic and thought, as it asserts the consistency of reality and the validity of reason.

Aristotle argues that actuality is prior to potentiality because potential exists only as the possibility of becoming something actual. For example, a seed has the potential to become a tree, but it is only actual when it grows into one. However, it is not entirely prior because potentiality is necessary for actuality to exist. Everything actual was once potential. This discovery was crucial for Aristotle because it explains change and the nature of being. It's still relevant because it helps us understand the relationship between possibilities and realities.

Aristotle sees metaphysics as one science because it deals with all being, which he says is understood through the analogy of relation. Different things are being in different ways (like a tree, a thought, or a person), but they are all being because they are all related to the ultimate form of being, which is substance. Therefore, metaphysics is one science because it studies the common ground of all things - being itself.

A theoretical concept describing a substance that is self-sufficient and exists independently, with its essence being its very being. Examples include God.

A substance whose being is distinct from its essence. Its existence is dependent on something else.

A substance composed of matter and form. Matter is the potential, while form is the actuality that gives shape and purpose.

Aristotle's concept of a substance, where matter is in potency to form's act.

Aquinas' concept of a substance, which includes both the potentiality of the essence and the act of being. The essence is actualized by the gift of being from God.

The question of why there is something rather than nothing. It probes the fundamental nature of existence and the origin of the universe.

Aristotle's explanation for the existence of something: The first mover, which is the only thing that exists of necessity, moved, thus creating the universe.

Aquinas' explanation for the existence of something: God's free will and love prompted Him to create the universe.

The process by which God brings all things into existence from nothing, independent of any prior state or material.

A change involves alteration of existing matter, while creation brings something new into existence without any prior existing material.

Time itself is a product of God's creative act and does not exist prior to it. Time is a measurement within creation, not a pre-existing framework.

The idea that God created all things from nothing, without any pre-existing matter or energy.

The study of fundamental principles of being and reality, focusing on concepts like existence, essence, and substance.

We know God by studying His created world because we cannot directly grasp His essence.

A method of understanding God by considering the limitations of human knowledge and focusing on what God is not, rather than what He is.

The study of God and His relationship to humanity, relying heavily on metaphysics to understand the nature of both God and Creation.

Our knowledge of God is based on comparing him to created things, understanding that while they share some similarities, they are ultimately very different.

Attributing human qualities or limitations to God, which can distort our understanding of his true nature.

God’s existence is independent of time and space, meaning he is not subject to the limitations of the created world.

The Big Bang theory, despite being a scientific explanation for the origin of the universe, doesn't explain the fundamental existence of time, matter, and change, and therefore cannot be solely relied upon to account for the creation of the universe itself.

Deism is a flawed view that depicts God as a distant creator who set the universe in motion and then stepped back, lacking any ongoing involvement in the universe.

God is not a distant creator, but intimately involved in the creation. God's presence is closer to us than our own selves because he is the very source of our being.

Because God is the source of all being, his love and knowledge are not restricted by time or space. He is aware of and involved with all things in existence.

The universe cannot create itself; a cause outside of the physical universe is necessary to explain the existence of all things, including time, matter, and change.

Universals like 'humanity' or 'rationality' are not stand-alone concepts but rather principles that differentiate individuals within a species. They are not parts of an individual's essence, but rather principles that help define the specific characteristics of an individual.

Universals (e.g., 'humanity') cannot exist independently of individuals (e.g., Socrates). If they did, they wouldn't be able to explain the uniqueness of individuals, making them useless for understanding the world.

According to Aquinas, 'esse' (existence) is not a thing in itself, but an act, a gift of being. It doesn't have an independent existence, but manifests itself through the actualization of a thing.

Aquinas argues that God is the ultimate source of existence, the very act of being itself. He grants existence to all other beings, allowing them to become actual.

The human person is a unified combination of body and soul, with the soul acting as the form that gives organization and purpose to the body. The soul is the principle of the body's life and is responsible for transmitting the gift of existence.

The human person exists in potentiality to receive the act of being, 'actus essendi'. The soul facilitates this reception, allowing the human person to actualize their potential.

Hylomorphism is the philosophical understanding of a being as a composed of matter (hyle) and form. It explains that the essence of a thing exists in potentiality (matter) and is actualized through form (soul).