Substance and Cause in Aristotle's Metaphysics: a study of Metaphysics Z17

• Grant number: 23/01901-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy - History of Philosophy
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Henrique Lopes dos Santos
• Grantee: Daniela Fernandes Cruz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/05550-3 - The hylomorphic analysis of the substances in Aristotles Metaphysics VII.17 and its implications, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The present research focuses on Aristotle's Metaphysics Z17, analysing the impact of Aristotle's philosophy of science on the investigation of the substances. More specifically, the aim is to investigate the relevance of this methodology - the triadic model of causal explanation, originally developed in the Posterior Analytics II -, in the central books of the Metaphysics (mainly, Z17 and —), through two main axes: i) the specific presentation of the model of demonstrative science from the Posterior Analytics, in order to appreciate similarities and differences, also clarifying whether the condition formulated in APo II.9 hinders its application to substances; ii) a study of the hylomorphic analysis, and whether it can be used to describe substances in a triadic model adequate to a scientific investigation. In addition, our study involves to explore the notion of substance (¿Pï±) as a cause (±0į±), as presented in the initial lines of the chapter (Met. –17 1041a6).