Aristotle’s Categories: An Analysis
The Categories is a framework of Aristotle’s outlook in philosophy. It is the prologue to Aristotle’s works and sets the tone towards his philosophy. The Categories centres on the nature of a being—what it means to be a being. The idea that Aristotle is trying to present in chapter two is dividing the forms of speech in order to make the basic distinctions of them. In chapter two of the text, Aristotle identifies the four types of being. They are as followed: 1) things that are said of a subject, but are not in a subject; 2) things that are in a subject, but are not said of a subject; 3) things that are both said of a subject and in a subject; and 4) things that are neither in a subject or said of a subject …show more content…
For the things without combination “each signifies either substance or quality or qualification or relative or where or when being-in-a-position or having or doing or being-affected” (Categories 4, 1b25). Without any sort of combination, it is hard to say that what is true or not. Take in the example of a man as a substance. Having the man alone does not give any real knowledge on the issue. It is when the thing without combination combines with something that we are able to know. Whether it is true or false, in regards to the combination, can be either or. However, the lack of combination makes neither true or false (Categories 4, 2a 5). It merely just is, without any affirmation to the context of it. This is related to the four kinds of being because it distinguishes the four kinds of being, as being with combination, and those things that are without combination. Aristotle is trying to divide realty into a systematic way. His way of identifying the four types of being is a way of trying to explain why these aspects of reality are a part of it and why. Somethings are able to exist on its own, while others rely on being in relationship—in combination—with another to exist. They both feature different effects in reality and how we perceive it to
The Categories is a framework of Aristotle’s outlook in philosophy. It is the prologue to Aristotle’s works and sets the tone towards his philosophy. The Categories centres on the nature of a being—what it means to be a being. The idea that Aristotle is trying to present in chapter two is dividing the forms of speech in order to make the basic distinctions of them. In chapter two of the text, Aristotle identifies the four types of being. They are as followed: 1) things that are said of a subject, but are not in a subject; 2) things that are in a subject, but are not said of a subject; 3) things that are both said of a subject and in a subject; and 4) things that are neither in a subject or said of a subject …show more content…
For the things without combination “each signifies either substance or quality or qualification or relative or where or when being-in-a-position or having or doing or being-affected” (Categories 4, 1b25). Without any sort of combination, it is hard to say that what is true or not. Take in the example of a man as a substance. Having the man alone does not give any real knowledge on the issue. It is when the thing without combination combines with something that we are able to know. Whether it is true or false, in regards to the combination, can be either or. However, the lack of combination makes neither true or false (Categories 4, 2a 5). It merely just is, without any affirmation to the context of it. This is related to the four kinds of being because it distinguishes the four kinds of being, as being with combination, and those things that are without combination. Aristotle is trying to divide realty into a systematic way. His way of identifying the four types of being is a way of trying to explain why these aspects of reality are a part of it and why. Somethings are able to exist on its own, while others rely on being in relationship—in combination—with another to exist. They both feature different effects in reality and how we perceive it to