On Aristotle's "Categories 7-8""In Categories Chapters 7 and 8, Aristotle considers his third and fourth categories - those of Relative and Quality. Critics of Aristotle had suggested for each of the non-substance categories that they could really be reduced to relatives, so it is important how the category of Relative is defined. Aristotle offers two definitions, and the second, stricter one is often cited by his defenders in order to rule out objections. The second definition of relative involves the idea of something changing its relationship through a change undergone by its correlate, not by itself. There were disagreements as to whether this was genuine change, and Plotinus discussed whether relatives exist only in the mind, without being real. The term used by Aristotle for such relationships was "being disposed relatively to something," a term later borrowed by the Stoics for their fourth category, and perhaps originating in Plato's Academy." |
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accidens according admit affective qualities Ammonius Archytas Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle's belong among relatives bird bodiless body Boethus called cause an affection co-exist colour commentaries commentators common feature complete condition connate considered contraries contrariety correlate Damascius defined definition Dexippus differentia distinction doctrine enmattered Ennead epitasis Eudorus example figure genera genus Greek havable hexis Iamblichus incapacity intellect intension and remission intermediate Kalbfleisch knowable knowledge less literacy logoi logos matter Metaph natural capacity Neoplatonic Neoplatonist paronymously participation particular feature perception perhaps Philoponus philosophical Plato Plotinus plurality Porphyry position possesses posterior potential predicated present prior Proclus produces propensity qualified things Quantity reason reciprocity reference relation relationship relatively disposed removed result Richard Sorabji rudder sense shape Simplicius skhesis slave someone Sorabji soul species of Quality spoken Stoic substance substantial existence substrate supervene Syrianus Themistius Timaeus tion type of Quality viewed in terms virtue wing