Book contents
- Conceptualising Concepts in Greek Philosophy
- Conceptualising Concepts in Greek Philosophy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 The Emergence of the Concept in Early Greek Philosophy
- Chapter 2 The Place of Concepts in Socratic Inquiry
- Chapter 3 Early Learning in Plato, Republic 7
- Chapter 4 Are Platonic Forms Concepts?
- Chapter 5 Do Forms Play the Role of Concepts in Late Plato?
- Chapter 6 Concepts and Concept Formation in Aristotle’s Logical Works
- Chapter 7 Concepts and Universals in Aristotle’s Metaphysical Thought
- Chapter 8 Aristotle on the Stages of Cognitive Development
- Chapter 9 Epicureans on Preconceptions and Other Concepts
- Chapter 10 The Stoics on Conceptions and Concepts
- Chapter 11 Doing Things with Concepts in Sextus Empiricus
- Chapter 12 Relative Concepts
- Chapter 13 Concepts in Greek Mathematics
- Chapter 14 Platonist Notions and Forms
- Chapter 15 Contested Concepts
- Chapter 16 Alexander of Aphrodisias on Concepts
- Chapter 17 Plotinus on Concepts
- Chapter 18 Concepts in the Neoplatonist Tradition
- Chapter 19 Early Christian Philosophers on Concepts
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 7 - Concepts and Universals in Aristotle’s Metaphysical Thought
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 April 2024
- Conceptualising Concepts in Greek Philosophy
- Conceptualising Concepts in Greek Philosophy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 The Emergence of the Concept in Early Greek Philosophy
- Chapter 2 The Place of Concepts in Socratic Inquiry
- Chapter 3 Early Learning in Plato, Republic 7
- Chapter 4 Are Platonic Forms Concepts?
- Chapter 5 Do Forms Play the Role of Concepts in Late Plato?
- Chapter 6 Concepts and Concept Formation in Aristotle’s Logical Works
- Chapter 7 Concepts and Universals in Aristotle’s Metaphysical Thought
- Chapter 8 Aristotle on the Stages of Cognitive Development
- Chapter 9 Epicureans on Preconceptions and Other Concepts
- Chapter 10 The Stoics on Conceptions and Concepts
- Chapter 11 Doing Things with Concepts in Sextus Empiricus
- Chapter 12 Relative Concepts
- Chapter 13 Concepts in Greek Mathematics
- Chapter 14 Platonist Notions and Forms
- Chapter 15 Contested Concepts
- Chapter 16 Alexander of Aphrodisias on Concepts
- Chapter 17 Plotinus on Concepts
- Chapter 18 Concepts in the Neoplatonist Tradition
- Chapter 19 Early Christian Philosophers on Concepts
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
‘Concepts and Universals in Aristotle’s Metaphysical Thought’ by Christof Rapp starts with the recognition that Aristotle does not have a general term for ‘concept’ and examines which entities in his metaphysical theory might play the role of concepts. According to Rapp, many of Aristotle’s discussions focus on the meaning of general terms and whether they signify something real and existing independently in its own right. Aristotle remains committed to the view that universals as captured by genuine definitions are crucial for human knowledge and understanding. Insofar as Aristotle resists a conception of universals as existing in the way that particular substances do, he can be taken to intimate that universals are ‘merely conceptual’. In the Metaphysics, he distances himself from the view that universals such as genera and species qualify as substances. His main contribution to our thinking about concepts consists in the view that both universals and embodied substantial forms have mental counterparts, by which we grasp and understand the things falling under the conceived form or essential definition.
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- Conceptualising Concepts in Greek Philosophy , pp. 147 - 177Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024