The Meaning of Genus in Ancient Greek Philosophy up to Aristotle and in Thomas Aquinas

• Authors: D’Antuono Matthew
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The term “genus” has evolved over time. This paper traces development of the word from the common usage of Ancient Greece, through the pre-Socratic philosophers and Plato, and up to the more technical use in Aristotle. It began in common use to mean a class or race of people, most specifically referring to people with a common parentage. The pre-Socratics applied the term to refer to things that were generated. Plato used the term to refer to groups of people generated by a common interest or aim. Aristotle employed it in different ways based on his predecessors. This paper makes comparisons between these usages and the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. It argues that understanding the development of “genus” facilitates understanding how Thomas Aquinas used it.

Keywords

EN

Homer; Isaeus; Xenophon; Heraclitus; Parmenides; Empedocles; Plato; Aristotle; Thomas Aquinas; genus; philosophy; science; metaphysics

• Publisher: International Étienne Gilson Society
• Journal: Studia Gilsoniana
• Year: 2019
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 515-545

Dates

published

2019-08-20

Contributors

author

D’Antuono Matthew

• Holy Apostles College & Seminary, Cromwell, Conn., USA

References

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Identifiers

ISSN

2300-0066

ISSN

2577-0314

DOI

10.26385/SG.080215