Examining Aristotle’s main treatises and the important philosophical concepts learned from these.
This paper analyzes Aristotles main treatises – Four Causes (Aristotleian Metaphysics), the Categories of Being (Hierarchy of Being), and the Dynamic Conception of `ousia` (dynamic identity, which is related to the concept of being and the hierarchy beings belong to). It shows that these formed the basis for Aristotle’s quest to understand the concept of the being, the essence of their existence in this world, and basically to refute other philosophers? (particularly Plato’s view) about the abstract existence of form and matter.
`In explaining the existence and the concept of being, Aristotle began formulating his own philosophy of and about the being, particularly in explaining the existence and hierarchy that concrete beings belongs to. This important explanation by Aristotle became the foundation of logical reasoning, which eventually emerged into what is known as the natural philosophy of the sciences. In explaining the existence and hierarchy of beings in this world, Aristotle’s natural philosophy thought of the being as a concrete being, in contrast to Plato’s abstract forms and concept of the beings. Aristotle based his philosophies on the premise that to explain the existence, hierarchy, and substance of a being, one must make sure that for this being to be explained and studied, its existence, that is, concrete existence must be first proven. The actual existence of a being is the basic premise that the natural sciences studies follow, and in explaining and describing the existence of a being, one also follows Aristotle’s logical pattern of reasoning, wherein cause and effect are the primary basis of reasoning in Aristotleian logical reasoning. Aristotle’s primary treatises brought about the emergence of natural philosophy, the categorization of the being, and logical reasoning.`