Changing Kinds: Aristotle and the Aristotelians

• Authors: Clark Stephen R. L.
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Aristotle is routinely blamed for several errors that, it is supposed, held 'science' back for centuries - among others, a belief in distinct, homogenous and unchanging species of living creatures, an essentialist account of human nature, and a suggestion that 'slavery' was a natural institution. This paper briefly examines Aristotle's own arguments and opinions, and the perils posed by a contrary belief in changeable species. Contrary to received opinion even amongst some of his followers, Aristotle was not a species essentialist and his ethical theory, properly expanded, provides arguments against bioengineering human and other species without a clear view of what should count as beauty.

Keywords

EN

species essentialism; Aristotle; teleology; genetic engineering; evolutionary theory

• Publisher: Instytut Filozofii - Uniwersytet Jagielloński
• Journal: Diametros
• Year: 2015
• Issue: Diametros 45
• Pages: 19-34

Dates

published

2015-09

Contributors

author

Clark Stephen R. L.

• Department of Philosophy The University of Liverpool

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Notes

Special Topic – Aristotelian Recources of Bioethics

Identifiers

DOI

dx.doi.org/10.13153/diam.45.2015.794