Finite infinitude: an Aristotelian approach to the question concerning “for the same thinking as well as being”
Open Access
- Author:
- Jing, Tian Qi
- Area of Honors:
- Philosophy
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Mark A Sentesy, Thesis Supervisor
Emily Rolfe Grosholz, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Aristotle
Metaphysics
History of Philosophy - Abstract:
- The question concerning the relationship between being and thinking has always been an important topic for discussion in the history of philosophy. To start a new interpretation on this topic, we might need to start by unpacking the concept of being and thinking. Parmenides asserts that “being is one”, thus, it follows that thinking is numerically one with being, but in doing so he also denies change. In order to solve this problem, Aristotle rejects Parmenides’ view that being could only be meant in one sense, and argues that all coming-to-be is made possible due to an underlying composite dynamic-energetic structure. Change, as a result, is the actualization of a thinghood’s potency of becoming specific forms, and the being’s potency orients itself to become the complete actuality. Correspondingly, the intellect faculty of the soul obtains the same structure. The activity of thinking could be described as the intellect realizing its potency of taking over the forms of beings in the world, and in this activity, the intellect and being come-to-be the same actuality: thinking in the form of knowledge. From this perspective, Parmenides’ famous fragment of “for the same thinking as well as being” could be interpreted as, the potency of the intellect and natural beings in their complete being-at-work-staying-itself (entelecheia), belongs to the same being of knowledge. Moreover, I would argue that in the way that all beings have the highest good as their ultimate end, thinking has truth as its ground and teleological cause. To phrase it differently, the good and truth are the first movers for being and thinking, they are the initial actuality and ultimate end that is being yearned. As a result, Parmenides’ quote could also be understood as, being and thinking yearned “for” the same unconditioned condition, which is revealed in two different forms as the good and truth.