ARISTOTLE ON CHANCE AND SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. A DISCUSSION NOTE

• Authors: Christos Panayides
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In Physics II. 4-6 Aristotle deals with the technical concept of chance. Here a number of specific characteristics are ascribed to the chance happenings. At the same time, in his biological works Aristotle presents his notorious theory of ‘spontaneous generation’. Most scholars assume that this theory ought to be in line with the doctrine of chance, as this is presented in his Physics. It is clear, however, that spontaneous generation lacks (at least some of) the features a chance happening ought to have. For instance, spontaneity is not unusual. Here the author ś purpose is to address the exegetical problem at hand, in particular to sketch out an argument according to which the discrepancy between Aristotle’s doctrine of chance and his theory of spontaneous generation is merely an apparent one.

Keywords

EN

ARISTOTLE; GENERATION; DISCUSSION; SPONTANEITY

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Filozofia (Philosophy)
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 68
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 114 – 123

Contributors

author

Christos Panayides

• University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissas Avenue, P.O. Box 24005, 1700 Nicosia, Cyprus