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tion here that is quite similar to the one between alteration and change in
essence.
This is made clear by an obvious example, namely growth in the coming
to be of living beings. In coming to be, that which is coming to be needs to
grow in order to complete its development and become a full member of its
respective kind. Growth, too, for Aristotle is an essential part of such cases
of coming to be, that is, of a change in essence. This is clear, for instance,
with respect to human beings: what is now an embryo needs to acquire a
certain size in order to become a full-grown man, viz. it must grow and
reach the magnitude specific to it as a human being.73 As in the case of the
alteration of the matter, the mere growth of that which grows does not
automatically lead to a full-fledged human being, yet without the occur-
rence of this change in quantity as a natural part of the development, the
coming to be would not reach its goal.
That the other kind of change in quantity, namely diminution (φθίσις),
is also connected to change in essence in a similar sense is indicated by the
way Aristotle characterizes this kind of change. While growth is described
as a change “towards the complete magnitude” that is specific to the respec-
tive living thing’s nature, diminution is a change away from this natural
magnitude.74 According to this characterization, a living thing has a magni-
tude that is specific to its nature and, one could add, to its form. Growth as
part of the coming to be of a living being aims at reaching this specific goal.
Diminution, however, is a departing from the magnitude that is proper to
the respective living being according to its form and essence.
That this makes sense becomes clear when we think of certain cases in
which a full-grown living being diminishes and becomes smaller: the pro-
cess of dying or the progression of a severe illness, may go hand in hand
with such a change in quantity: the organism becomes weak and emaciated,
and loses the magnitude it usually has when it is in a healthy state.
As for the case of alteration, here as well I will refrain from making the
claim that for Aristotle every diminution is part of such a change in essence.
Nevertheless, there are instances of corruption of which becoming smaller
is an essential part. By contributing to and being a necessary part of the pro-
cess of corruption, diminution as alteration in a sense may be said to make
its subject depart from its essence.
73 Aristotle for instance explicitly points out that natural growth always aims at reaching
the complete magnitude that is specific to the nature of the respective thing (see VI 10,
241a33–b2, and V 2, 226a31–32).
74 ἡ [scil. κίνησις] μὲν εἰς τὸ τέλειον μέγεθος αὔξησις, ἡ δ᾽ ἐκ τούτου φθίσις, Phys.
V 2, 226a31–32; Phys. VI 10, 241a33–b2, αὐξήσεως μὲν γὰρ τὸ πέρας τοῦ κατὰ τὴν
οἰκείαν φύσιν τελείου μεγέθους, φθίσεως δὲ ἡ τούτου ἔκστασις.
200 Locomotion is prior in essence
ISBN Print: 9783525253069 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647253060
© 2014, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen
The Priority of Locomotion in Aristotle’s Physics
- Title
- The Priority of Locomotion in Aristotle’s Physics
- Author
- Sebastian Odzuck
- Editor
- Dorothea Frede
- Gisela Striker
- Publisher
- Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co
- Date
- 2014
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- ISBN
- 9783647253060
- Size
- 15.5 x 23.2 cm
- Pages
- 238
- Categories
- Geisteswissenschaften
- Naturwissenschaften Physik
Table of contents
- Acknowledgements 9
- 1. Introduction 10
- 2. The importance of the primary kind of change 14
- 3. Change in quality and quantity of living beings depends on loco-motion, but not vice versa 42
- 4. Locomotion necessarily accompanies each of the other kinds of change, but not vice versa 71
- 4.1 Overview 71
- 4.2 What changes in quantity changes with respect to place 73
- 4.3 What undergoes generation or corruption changes with respect to place 89
- 4.4 What changes in quality changes with respect to place 98
- 4.4.1 Overview 98
- 4.4.2 What does it mean that condensation and rarefaction are principles of quality? 100
- 4.4.3 Every alteration involves a change in the four basic qualities 104
- 4.4.4 Every change in the four basic qualities involves con- densation or rarefaction 108
- 4.4.5 Condensation and rarefaction are forms of aggregation and segregation 110
- 4.4.6 What changes in quality changes with respect to place 112
- 4.4.7 Conclusion 113
- 4.5 Conclusion 113
- 5. All changes depend on the first locomotion, but not vice versa 115
- 6. Locomotion has temporal priority 144
- 6.1 Overview 144
- 6.2 Locomotion has priority in time, since it is the only change eternals can undergo 146
- 6.3 Objection: Locomotion is the last of all changes in perishable things 148
- 6.4 Coming to be presupposes an earlier locomotion 150
- 6.5 The locomotion of the sun as a cause of generation 154
- 6.6 Conclusion 162
- 7. Locomotion is prior in essence 164
- 7.1 Locomotion is prior in essence, since it is last in coming to be 164
- 7.2 Locomotion alone preserves its subject’s essence 186
- 7.2.1 Overview 186
- 7.2.2 Locomotion does not change its subject’s being 188
- 7.2.3 Locomotion preserves its subject’s essence best 190
- 7.2.4 Making x depart from its essence by being part of a change in essence? 195
- 7.2.5 Change in quality or quantity in principle may result in a change in essence 202
- 7.3 Conclusion: Locomotion’s priority in essence 207
- 8. Conclusion 211
- Bibliography 220
- List of Abbreviations 223
- Index Locorum 221
- Index Nominum 223
- Index Rerum 221