Metaphysics of Aristotle. The mind will ever win!

An outstanding thinker of ancient Greece, Aristotle(born in 348 BC) was interested in empirical sciences. A favorite student of Plato, he was well versed in his philosophy, but, nevertheless, criticized her. It is to Aristotle who owns the well-known phrase about Plato, friendship and truth. The works of Aristotle, addressed to the general public, were preserved only fragmentary, however, the works intended for the students came to our days.

The word "metaphysics" came into use with the filingAndronicus of Rhodes, who collected the works of Aristotle. The collection of his writings consisted of 14 books: works on logic, natural sciences, books about being, works on ethics, aesthetics, biology and politics. Metaphysics was called the section on being, located after the studies in physics (in translation from ancient Greek, “meta” means “next”).

In metaphysics, the ancient Greek philosopherthe teaching of the beginnings that laid the foundation of wisdom. Metaphysics of Aristotle describes the four highest causes of being (they are the same origin). Instead of the threefold Platonic structure (the world of things, the world of ideas and matter), he proposed a dual, including only matter and form. Metaphysics of Aristotle briefly looks like this:

1. Материя, или всё то, что существует объективно – regardless of the observer. Matter is indestructible and eternal, passive and inert, contains the potential for the emergence of a variety of things. Primary matter is manifested in the form of five primary elements, they are the elements - air, fire, water, earth, and the heavenly substance - ether.
2. The form. From monotonous matter, the Supreme Mind creates various forms. The being of a thing is the unity of form and matter, and the form is the beginning active and creative.
3. The prime mover of all forms, the summit and the cause of the universe, the immaterial and eternal God. Reflects the moment from which the existence of a thing begins.
4. Purpose, or "for what." The existence of each thing is justified by some purpose; the highest goal is good.

As follows from the above, one ofthe central categories of philosophy throughout its history from antiquity to the present day was the concept, which was initiated by Aristotle. Physics studies objective phenomena, but metaphysics investigates that which is beyond the limits of physical phenomena and serves as their cause. The continuity of concepts can be seen in the modern synonymizing of the word: metaphysical - invisible, unmanifested, perfect, extrasensory.

Aristotle's metaphysics declares the unity of the material and the ideal, form and matter. The basis of natural patterns is the interaction

opposites - day-night, good-evil, man-woman, up-down, which form fire, air, water and earth and can transform into each other
thanks to the strength of the interaction. According to his theory, the qualitative characteristics of the essence are primary in relation to the quantitative.

The first stage of knowledge of the metaphysics of Aristotleaffirms sensory knowledge through sensations. Logic, without which knowledge is unthinkable, Aristotle considers organic science, since it is a tool (organon) for the study of being. The highest level - rational knowledge - consists in finding the common in individual phenomena and things.

But the main advantage of man metaphysics Aristotle calls the mind.