Aristotle on divisional definition and demonstration in Posterior Analytics 2

FABIAN MIE

(Festschrift Marcelo Boeri)

a determinar

Lugar: Mexico DF; Año: 2023;

(* Para poder cargar este texto por SIGEVA he tomado un ISBN de otro libro, pues el sistema no permite cargar sin un ISBN reconocible. La publicación del caso aún no tiene ISBN asignado, como ocurre regularmente con los libros en prensa).I will consider here Aristotle?s criticism of the method of division in Posterior Analytics2 and particularly focus on the rehabilitation of divisional definition in 2.13. But since Iam interested in the role that divisional definition plays in demonstration, I shall alsoconsider how Aristotle frames his discussion on definition within the theory ofdemonstrative science and principles. So I will argue that (i) in 2.3-6 Aristotle aims toshow, first, that division is not a deduction and that it cannot proof anything; (ii) in 2.7he blames the current ways of defining for having failed to establish facts; (iii) finally in2.13 he amends divisional definition and makes it the appropriate method for graspingthe essence of species, which turn out to be principles of demonstration.