Aristóteles La Física o Filosofía Segunda

Summary

The transcript explores Aristotelian physics, explaining Aristotle's concept of substance and movement. It breaks down how substances, like an individual named Pepito, have essential and accidental attributes, and how change occurs in terms of local, quantitative, qualitative, and substantial transformations. Aristotle links movement with time, arguing that time only exists where movement occurs. He also discusses the idea of infinity, viewing it as potential rather than actual. The division of the universe into sublunar and supralunar realms is also explored, where the latter is home to perfect, circular movements, driven by a unique substance called the 'ether.'

Takeaways

• 😀 Aristotle's concept of 'physics' is different from modern physics, focusing on the study of substance and movement rather than scientific measurements.
• 😀 For Aristotle, 'substance' is an individual, unique entity that cannot be replaced, such as a person or object, which maintains its identity despite external changes.
• 😀 Accidents, in Aristotelian terms, are changes that don't alter the fundamental nature of a substance (e.g., losing hair or changing location).
• 😀 Aristotle believes substances have four causes: material (what something is made of), formal (its defining essence), efficient (what causes it to exist), and final (its ultimate purpose).
• 😀 'Being in act' refers to what something currently is, while 'being in potency' refers to what it has the potential to become.
• 😀 Movement, for Aristotle, is not just local (changing position), but also includes changes in quantity (growth or reduction), quality (changing characteristics), and even generation or corruption (becoming something else entirely).
• 😀 Movement from potency to actuality is a core concept in Aristotle's theory of change (e.g., a potential for obesity becomes reality through action).
• 😀 Aristotle categorizes four types of movement: local (change of place), quantitative (growth or shrinkage), qualitative (change in qualities like color or texture), and essential (generation or corruption, where a substance ceases to exist as it was).
• 😀 Time, for Aristotle, is linked to movement—if nothing moves, time does not pass. The measurement of time requires a uniform, perfect movement, which he believed was the circular motion of celestial bodies.
• 😀 Aristotle denied the existence of an actual infinite, believing that infinity only exists in potential, demonstrated through the infinite succession of numbers that are never completed.
• 😀 Aristotle divided the world into two realms: the sublunar (below the moon) where change occurs, and the supralunar (above the moon), where perfection prevails, and no true change (generation or corruption) can take place.

Q & A

What is Aristotle's concept of substance?

For Aristotle, substance is what makes an entity what it is. It refers to something that cannot be missing for an entity to continue existing as itself, such as the individual and unique nature of 'Pepito'. Any changes in circumstances (like weight or appearance) do not alter the essence of the substance.

What does Aristotle mean by 'accidents'?

Accidents, according to Aristotle, are non-essential changes or characteristics that do not alter the fundamental substance of an entity. For example, if Pepito gains weight or loses hair, these are accidents, not changes to his core essence.

What are the four causes identified by Aristotle?

Aristotle's four causes are: 1) Material cause (what something is made of), 2) Formal cause (its essential nature), 3) Efficient cause (its origin or creator), and 4) Final cause (its purpose or goal).

How does Aristotle distinguish between 'being in act' and 'being in potentiality'?

'Being in act' refers to what something currently is, such as Pepito being thin. 'Being in potentiality' refers to what something could become, such as Pepito's potential to become obese if he continues to eat excessively.

What are the four types of movement according to Aristotle?

Aristotle identifies four types of movement: 1) Local movement (change in position), 2) Quantitative change (growth or reduction), 3) Qualitative change (alteration of characteristics), and 4) Generation and corruption (the radical transformation of a substance into something else).

What is the role of time in Aristotle's philosophy?

Aristotle links time to movement, stating that time cannot exist without change or motion. He believed that the perfect, uniform motion is circular, and this serves as the basis for measuring time.

How does Aristotle view infinity?

Aristotle does not believe in actual infinity, but in potential infinity. For instance, while you can keep adding numbers to a sequence, the sequence itself is never fully realized in a tangible way.

What is the distinction between the sublunar and supralunar worlds in Aristotle's philosophy?

The sublunar world, located beneath the moon, is characterized by change, generation, and corruption. The supralunar world, above the moon, is unchanging and made of a perfect substance called 'ether', where no generation or corruption occurs.

What is Aristotle’s view on the elements in the sublunar world?

In the sublunar world, Aristotle believes the four basic elements—earth, air, fire, and water—are the fundamental building blocks of all material substances.

Why did Aristotle believe the motion of celestial bodies is perfect?

Aristotle considered the motion of celestial bodies to be perfect because it is uniform and circular. He thought that this motion was an essential feature of the supralunar world, distinguishing it from the changeable nature of the sublunar world.