Aristotle’s intermediates and Xenocrates’ mathematicals

Q2 Arts and Humanities
P. Horky
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This paper investigates the identity and function of τὰ μεταξύ in Aristotle and the Early Academy by focussing primarily on Aristotle’s criticisms of Xenocrates of Chalcedon, the third scholarch of Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s direct competitor. It argues that a number of passages in Aristotle’s Metaphysics (at Β 2, Μ 1-2, and Κ 12) are chiefly directed at Xenocrates as a proponent of theories of mathematical intermediates, despite the fact that Aristotle does not mention Xenocrates there. Aristotle complains that the advocates for mathematical intermediates produce theories that are ontologically and epistemologically inefficient (related to, but not confined by, the “Uniqueness Problem”); that their so-called “intermediates” feature properties opposed to those of the forms on which those intermediates are thought to depend; and that what is μεταξύ must be between objects of a different genus. In all three cases, Aristotle’s criticisms are shown to be reactions to the metaphysics and cosmology of Xenocrates, especially his doctrine of the intermediary demonic isosceles triangle souls. Xenocrates emerges as a prime candidate for Aristotle’s critique of Platonist τὰ μεταξύ theories – equal to, and possibly even exceeding, Plato as target.
亚里士多德的中间体和Xenocrates的数学
本文以亚里士多德对柏拉图学派的第三位学者、亚里士多德的直接竞争对手、卡尔西顿的Xenocrates的批评为重点,考察τ ο εταξ ζ在亚里士多德和早期学派中的身份和作用。它认为亚里士多德的《形而上学》(Β 2, Μ 1-2和Κ 12)中的许多段落主要是针对谢诺克拉特作为数学中间理论的支持者,尽管亚里士多德在那里没有提到谢诺克拉特。亚里士多德抱怨说,数学中间的倡导者产生的理论在本体论和认识论上都是低效的(与“唯一性问题”有关,但不限于此);他们所谓的"中间物"所具有的性质与那些被认为是这些中间物所依赖的形式的性质相反;而所谓的“ε ε αξ”,一定是在两类不同的对象之间。在这三种情况下,亚里士多德的批评被证明是对Xenocrates的形而上学和宇宙论的反应,特别是他关于中间恶魔等腰三角形灵魂的学说。Xenocrates是亚里士多德对柏拉图主义τ - ετα - ξ ζ理论的批判的主要候选人——相当于,甚至可能超过柏拉图作为目标。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Revue de Philosophie Ancienne
Revue de Philosophie Ancienne Arts and Humanities-Philosophy
CiteScore
0.30
自引率
0.00%
发文量
4
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