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Of course, our understanding of the term “history” in this essay differs greatly from the classical use. Let us remember that in his Historia Animalium Aristotle described history as an activity of searching for information. Over time, this activity became a simple narrative of successive events. And so, history (or historiography) wound up being a knowledge of chronologically ordered “facts.” In this way it remains dependent on the availability of what are at times scarce and at other times abundant source materials.
In: Historiological Discussions, Silo
Introduction to Historiological Discussions
Hegel has illustrated for us the dialectic of movement but not that of temporality. He defines temporality as the “abstraction of consuming,” locating it along with “place” and “movement” following the tradition of Aristotle (particularly his Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences, the chapter “Philosophy of Nature”).
In, Historiological Discussions, Silo
Chapter 3: History and Temporality, 3.1 Temporality and Process
Various authors (Dromel, Lorenz, Petersen, Wechssler, Pinder, Drerup, Mannheim, and so on) have addressed the theme of the generations, but it is Ortega y Gasset who must be recognized for having established in his theory of generations the key to understanding the intrinsic movement of the historical process. (31) If we are to find an explanation for the way that events unfold, we will have to make an effort similar to that of Aristotle, who in his time tried to explain movement through the concepts of potency and act. Now as then, arguments based on sensory perception prove insufficient to explain movement, and so today it is not sufficient to explain historical becoming by means of factors to which the human being responds merely passively, or as the transmission mechanism of an agent that remains external.
In, Historiological Discussions, Silo
Chapter 3: History and Temporality, 3.2 Horizon and Temporal Landscape
Aristotle (384 - 322 BC.)
Aristotle (384 - 322 BC.)
Philosopher and naturalist
Philosopher and naturalist
Biographical information
Biographical information
384 BC. Aristotle was born in Stageira. His father was the personal physician of the Macedonian king, which gave Aristotle early access to the court and to science.
367 BC. At the age of 17, Aristotle went to Athens and joined Plato's Academy. He spent about 20 years there and was strongly influenced by Plato's philosophy, even though he later went his own way in philosophy.
347 BC: After Plato's death, Aristotle left the Academy and travelled to Assos (Asia Minor), where he further developed his philosophy and natural science and made new acquaintances.
343/342 BC: Aristotle was summoned to Macedonia by King Philip II to teach his son Alexander (later to become Alexander the Great). This teaching activity may have influenced Alexander's later world view and political style.
335 BC Aristotle returned to Athens and founded the Lyceum, a school of his own, which, in addition to philosophy, also devoted itself to natural science and empirical research. It was here that a large part of his writings were produced.
323 BC After Alexander's death, the political mood in Athens turned against the Macedonians. Aristotle, as a sympathiser of the Macedonians, came under pressure and left Athens. He retreated to Chalkis.
322 BC Death in Chalkis Aristotle died in exile in Chalkis.
Topics
Topics
Philosophy and Metaphysics: Aristotle broadened the definition of philosophy as the search for knowledge for its own sake. He developed fundamental concepts such as the distinction between natural and artificial beings and the idea that ‘art imitates nature’. In his ‘Metaphysics’ he explored concepts such as act (energeia) and potency (dunamis) and dealt with the becoming and nature of the one.
Ethics: the pursuit of happiness, and virtue (Arete), by examining the character traits necessary to achieve moral excellence.
Science: Aristotle is often considered the father of biology for his work classifying animals and his detailed observations of nature. His work, Historia Animalium (On the Animals), is one of the first treatises on biology, in which he studied the functions of organs and the behaviour of animals, laying the groundwork for comparative anatomy.
In the field of physics, Aristotle developed a world view in which he introduced terms such as matter, form, movement and causality. He suggested that the world is eternal and has always existed as it is, which distinguishes him from the cosmogonic theories of his time. Although his physics are now outdated, they dominated scientific thought until modern times.
Aristotle established formal logic with his ‘Organon’, a series of texts setting out the principles of systematic thought. This Aristotelian logic was used for centuries as the basis for developing scientific thought.
Major works
‘Metaphysics’: a philosophical treatise exploring the fundamental concepts of being and reality.
‘Physics’: a collection of texts dealing with the principles of nature and motion, in which he defines space and time.
‘Nicomachean Ethics’: a work on ethics and virtue in which Aristotle develops his theory of friendship and happiness.
‘Politics’: a treatise on political philosophy and the structure of human societies.
‘Poetics’: a text on literary theory, especially tragedy and the epic.
‘Organon’: a series of texts on logic, which includes works such as the ‘Categories’ and the ‘First Analytics or Second Analytics’.
The following work is mentioned by Silo in HD:
« Historia Animalium » :
Aristotle wrote the ‘Historia Animalium’ (Zoology) between 350 BC and 330 BC, during his time at Plato's school of philosophy, the Academy, and later when he taught at the school he himself founded, the Lyceum. The ‘Historia Animalium’ is one of the oldest and most influential zoological works of antiquity, in which Aristotle compiled and classified observations on a wide range of animals.
Influence
Aristotle had a profound influence on philosophy and many other fields of knowledge. In philosophy, he developed fundamental theories of logic, ethics, metaphysics and epistemology that were considered standard works for centuries. His logic systems, in particular the syllogism, formed the foundation of formal logic until the Middle Ages.
In science, he carried out systematic observations and classifications that shaped biology, physics and psychology.
Aristotle's concept of virtue ethics continues to influence moral and ethical considerations to this day, as it focuses on achieving a balanced and happy life.
He also made important contributions to political theory and rhetoric that influenced European philosophy and political practice well into the modern era.
Why is he mentioned by Silo in ‘Historiological Discussions’?
1st Quote
Silo goes back to ancient times, where the concept of history was different from today. In Aristotle's time, history was a much broader concept that included all information-seeking activities. Aristotle, for example, sought information about animals.
2nd Quote
In Book IV of ‘Physics’, Aristotle defines space as the dimension in which objects exist and move, while time is the continuous measure of change and motion. Space and time are therefore tools for measuring motion.
Hegel also sees time as a framework for motion and change.
3rd Quote
Aristotle defines movement as the transition from potency to act, a concept he calls ‘entelechy’. For Aristotle, movement is intrinsic to the nature of things, represents the continuous realisation of their potential and manifests itself in different forms according to the categories of being.
Movement is therefore immanent to man. He is not simply subject to external facts (subject of intention).
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