ABSTRACT

In this paper, I argue that the Parts of Animals [PA] should be seen as continuing in the tradition of those earlier natural scientists who “investigated the material principle of things and that sort of cause” (PA I 1, 640b4–5), but with its own Aristotelian twist. First, Aristotle expands the scope of this inquiry to include animal parts (PA 646a13–b27) since these constitute the matter out of which animals are composed. Second, and more importantly, he reconceptualizes this matter as definitionally-dependent on, and teleologically-oriented towards, the form for whose sake it exists (PA 640b29–641a6, 645b15–20, 646b10–26). It follows from this that we cannot define that matter without also mentioning the form (PA 640b26–9, 645a30–b1). Thus, Aristotle recommends defining “the matter of the composite” (PA 640b24–9) as the most effective way of accomplishing the definitional aims of the PA; for this strategy alone yields a complete definition of the composite itself.

摘要

在这篇论文中，我认为动物的部分[PA] 应该被视为延续了早期自然科学家的传统，他们“研究事物的物质原理和那种原因”（PA I 1, 640b4-5），但有自己的亚里士多德扭曲。首先，亚里士多德将本次调查的范围扩大到包括动物部分 (PA 646a13-b27)，因为这些构成了构成动物的物质。其次，更重要的是，他将这个问题重新定义为在定义上依赖于它存在的形式，并以目的论为导向（PA 640b29-641a6、645b15-20、646b10-26）。因此，如果不提及形式 (PA 640b26–9, 645a30–b1)，我们就无法定义该事项。因此，亚里士多德建议将“复合材料”（PA 640b24-9）定义为实现 PA 定义目标的最有效方式；