Logos as radical analogy: Locating the structure of analogy in Aristotle's 'Physics', Alpha.

摘要

The goal of this dissertation is to elucidate the structure of analogy in Aristotle's thought. The structure of analogy, it is argued, is located in chapter 7 of Aristotle's Physics, Alpha. In this chapter, Aristotle tells us that there are three principles of becoming beings, namely, logos (the addressable form of becoming beings), steresis (the privation of the form of becoming beings or qualified non-being), and hypokeimenon (the underlying substance that remains the same throughout the process of becoming). Steresis and hypokeimenon mark the non-being aspects of becoming beings. These non-being aspects are not directly addressable; rather, they only receive articulation by way of analogy. Steresis, as qualified non-being, is always an a-logos, always a part of the being addressed by logos but never itself directly spoken. Hypokeimenon, as what underlies the interaction between logos and steresis, is also a part of the addressing of beings as logos yet receives even a less direct form of speech. Hypokeimenon, Aristotle claims, can only be spoken by way of analogy. Hypokeimenon, as what underlies logos and steresis (a-logos), serves as a more deeply rooted form of potentiality for the addressable form of the becoming being. As such, hypokeimenon is a step further away from logos, i.e., from addressability. So, where steresis is always an a-logos, it can be said that hypokeimenon is spoken as an an-a-logos or according to analogia. This is just what Aristotle tells us in Physics Alpha, 7.;Analogy, then, is structured according to the three principles of becoming beings which are addressed as an-a-logia. That is to say, analogy for Aristotle is not just a reference to the mathematical proportional comparison of two sets of like beings. Rather, and more essentially, analogy is the manner of speech that brings to the level of articulation those first principles that lie outside of the reach of logos, beyond the scope of addressability. As such, the role of nous, especially how it apprehends principles without logos, plays an important part for the structure of analogy. By way of this structure of analogy, noetic principles receive a form of articulation that reveals how these principles enable logos to begin with. As such, becoming, whether immaterial substantial change or embodied attributive change, is addressable analogically (rethinking the potential "shift" that Aristotle is often said to commit in Physics Alpha, 7). Since analogy addresses those principles which enable logos, since the principles are the very root of logos, we can say the logos is radical analogy.;Keywords: Analogy, Logos, Steresis, Hypokeimenon,