Mixture and Transformation in Aristotle’s De generatione et corruptione

• Authors: Arman Zarifian
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In his works on natural sciences, primarily in the Physics, Aristotle focuses on different forms of metabolē and distinguishes movement in general from substantial change. The On generation and corruption deals with the latter. When reading this treatise, one should pay particular attention to the concept of mixture. Apart from being the subject of a specific chapter (I 10), the problem of mixture permeates the whole work. But what exactly is mixture? Is it a simple combination of small parts? Can a compound of water and wine be called mixture? If so, is this mixture and nothing more? In the course of the discussion, it is argued that the Aristotelian idea of mixis does not correspond to the concept that is usually associated with it. Rather, it is shown that mixis is fundamental for comprehending the physical world and constitutes not only the term per quem the first elements of all material bodies originate, but also plays a fundamental role in all natural sciences, particularly, in biology.

Keywords

EN

Aristotle; physics; generation; mixture; elements

• Publisher: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
• Journal: Peitho. Examina Antiqua
• Year: 2018
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 53-69

Dates

published

2018-12-13

Contributors

author

Arman Zarifian

• Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy

References

• De Haas, F., Mansfeld, J. (ed.), 2004, Aristotle’s On Generation and Corruption I, Oxford.
• Ebrey, D. (ed.), 2015, Theory and Practice in Aristotle’s Natural Science, Cambridge.
• Frede, D., 2004, “On Generation and Corruption I.10: On Mixture and Mixables”, in: De Haas – Mansfeld (2004).
• Giardina, G. R. (cur.), 2008, Aristotele, Sulla generazione e la corruzione, Roma.
• Gotthelf, A., 2012, Teleology, First Principles, and Scientific Method in Aristotle’s Biology, Oxford.
• Henry, D., 2015, Substantial Generation in Physics I I.5–7, in: Leunissen (2015).
• Lanza, D., Vegetti, M. (cur.), 1971, Aristotele, Opere biologiche, Torino.
• Leunissen, M. (ed.), 2015, Aristotle’s Physics. A Critical Guide, Cambridge.
• Maso, S., Natali, C., Seel, G. (ed.), 2012, Reading Aristotle. Physics VII.3, “What is Alteration”, Las Vegas – Zurich – Athens.
• Migliori, M., Palpacelli, L. (cur.), 2013, Aristotele, La generazione e la corruzione, Milano.
• Movia, G. (cur.), 2001, Aristotele, L’anima, Milano.
• Natali, C., 2014, Aristotele, Roma.
• Ross, W. D., 1946, Aristotele, A. Spinelli (trad.), Bari.
• Ruggiu, L. (cur.), 2007, Aristotele, Fisica, Milano.
• Solmsen, F., 1960, Aristotle’s System of the Physical World. A Comparison with His Predecessors, Ithaca.
• Wardy, R., 1990, The Chain of Change: A Study of Aristotle’s Physics VII, Cambridge.
• Williams, C. J. F. (cur.), 1982, Aristotle’s De generatione et corruptione, Oxford.

Identifiers

DOI

10.14746/pea.2018.1.4