A History of Greek and Roman Philosophy by John Hackney

Author:John Hackney
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Philosophical Library/Open Road Media
Published: 2022-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

Aristotle and Metaphysics

In the last section we said that logic and metaphysics were related through the Categories. Because of this relationship, it seems at this stage, fitting enough to give consideration to a most famous work of Aristotle, “The Metaphysics.” This work is extremely difficult to study on account of Aristotle’s particular style, and in translated versions, undoubtedly the transition of language adds to the already great difficulties; nevertheless, possibly no work has influenced Western thought as much as the “Metaphysics” has done.

After observing that all men desire to know, Aristotle goes on to demonstrate that there are two ways of knowing. The first by experience which really means to have knowledge without knowing why a certain thing is so. The second way is knowledge by act which means to have knowledge of something, and also to know why such a thing is as it is. In other words, experience is knowledge without reason, and art is knowledge with reason. The end of art is an effect of some sort, but Aristotle says that Wisdom at its highest level does not aim at producing anything. It cannot be used, and for this reason modern writers, following Aristotle, have spoken of the “uselessness” of Metaphysics. This is what they mean; the great point is that it cannot be used, and is an end in itself. Anyone who studies the highest type of wisdom is superior—at least in the mode of study—to anyone who studies a particular science for a particular end. This is because Metaphysics can be desired for itself. The other sciences cannot.

It is simply a science of first principles, prompted by man’s desire to know. Man wished for an explanation of sensible things, and thus philosophy came to be out of a desire to understand. Whatever use could be made of knowledge, this was essentially secondary. Consequently, because it was sought for itself, philosophy was essentially free, and in this science the highest part is Metaphysics. Since this is so, Aristotle concluded that Metaphysics marked the summit of man’s ability to perfect himself. Such a person could be a lover of wisdom desiring to know the ultimate in all reality. Further, Aristotle maintained that such knowledge is attainable, though he did not propound ideas without proof.

We gain information in this life by means of the senses which concern particulars. But Metaphysics concerns universals, which will mean that it is furthest from sense, and consequently the most abstract. It is in this that lies the difficulty to be overcome when it is studied. According to Aristotle, there is no wisdom in sense perception, since it is common to everyone. Also Metaphysics is an accurate science. This is because when fewer principles are involved, greater accuracy results, since there is a narrower margin for error. In addition, Metaphysics is the most knowable of all sciences, since it deals with first principles.

Now these principles are reality in the manner of their application since the latter are absolutely dependent upon the former.

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