Analysis of The Main Points in Metaphysics of Aristotle

Introduction to Aristotle's Metaphysics

Aristotle begins his account in Metaphysics by discussing the various ways and forms through which knowledge is obtained. He posits that the most substantial claim to knowledge arises when one can provide the best account of it. To facilitate this understanding, he introduces the notion of "the first causes." In essence, the first causes aim to recognize the reason why things are the way they are. This sets the stage for his premise that, to answer the question of why a thing is, we must understand its four causes: essential, formal, final, and material. He writes, "everyone’s judgment in any discipline deserving the name of wisdom must describe the first causes" (Aristotle, trans. 1984, p. 983). This assertion is closely tied to his notion of 'being and essence,' which is one of the four causes mentioned. In Book IV, he continues with the idea that 'being is unity,' stating, "being and unity are of the same and a single nature, since they imply each other, as principle and cause do," suggesting that he perceives being as a singular phenomenon capable of existing independently in reality (Aristotle, trans. 1984, p. 1015).

Material Reality and Aristotle's Characterization of Matter

In an Aristotelian sense, explaining what "material reality" is necessitates analyzing his characterization of matter. Aristotle asserts that things naturally coming into being emerge from a source called "matter." He categorizes matter into two types: ordinary matter and prime matter (or perceptible and intelligible). When explaining his notion of an account, he states, "primary things are those that are spoken of in a way that does not consist in one thing’s being said of another" (Aristotle, trans. 1984, p. 998). He also remarks, "substances evidently have a definition and essence of the primary type, i.e., a definition and essence without qualification," referring to his concept of a "substance" (Aristotle, trans. 1984, p. 1003). His classification of ordinary matter includes entities like bronze or wood, which possess prime matter and have the ability to move. Reality, according to Aristotle, exists independently of imagination. Thus, the notion of a perishable material reality corresponds with Aristotle's idea of ordinary matter.

Wisdom, Motion, and the Prime Mover

Aristotle extends his account by exploring the concept of wisdom and introducing Plato’s theory of forms, along with his critique of that theory. Among his criticisms is the belief that a source of motion is required to cause changes in the world. He perceives time and motion as circular, stating, "Motion cannot come to be or perish, nor can time. Motion is also continuous, then, in the same way that time is since time is either the same as motion is an attribute of it. But the only continuous motion is local motion — specifically, circular motion" (Aristotle, trans. 1984, p. 1073). This leads to the proposition of a "Prime Mover," a being with "unmoved substance" that initiates motion. He suggests that, since time is circular, matter is in a cycle of creation and perishing, or being and not being. Aristotle posits that to be is to move towards an end goal of what is "good." He defines substance in two ways: in terms of the form of a being (essence), it is something that the being is, in its own right; in terms of the form and material of a being, it is a compound of the being’s matter and form.

Continuity of Time and the Infinite Potentiality

Aristotle uses the continuity of time and motion to illustrate the concept of infinite potentiality in relation to local motion or the Prime Mover. He asserts, "there is an everlasting, unmoved substance that separated from perceptible things… this substance cannot have any magnitude, but must be without parts and indivisible for it initiates motion for an infinite time, but nothing finite has infinite potentiality" (Aristotle, trans. 1984, p. 274). This suggests that, according to Aristotle, the only kind of matter that doesn't definitively perish is the kind with infinite potentiality, i.e., the primary substance.

Summary and Implications of Aristotle's Metaphysical Concepts

Summarizing the aforementioned points, Aristotle believes that the essence of things and their material forms (or bodies) are impermanent or perishable. Hence, when he states that all material realities are perishable, he refers to the transformation of matter from a state of low potentiality to high potentiality. In relation to his four causes, he describes this change as moving towards the "good." Furthermore, while highlighting the superiority of philosophy over other sciences, he states, "the most superior science, that is superior to any subordinate science, is the one that knows the end for which a given thing should be done; this end is something’s good, and in general the end is what is best in every sort of nature" (Aristotle, trans. 1984, p. 982). When an object moves towards its end, Aristotle argues that it loses its essence, as well as its material substance. Thus, he concludes that things are in an infinite cycle of creation and destruction under the Prime Mover. Consequently, the premise of "material realities" does not involve the Prime Mover.

Modern Scientific Perspective and Critique

When juxtaposed with the modern scientific view of the world, a problem arises in examining Aristotle's ideas about the origin of being. He assumed time and motion to have persisted and to persist ad infinitum. However, considering the theory of general relativity, time exists as a dimensional plane that stretches infinitely. While Aristotle criticized Plato’s account of the forms for being redundant and unable to interact with the perceptible world, he described the forms as existing infinitely and independently, which could align with a planar concept of time. Throughout Book XII of Metaphysics, he postulates the idea of a prime mover as the origin of motion, arguing that it is the essence of the Prime Mover to facilitate this. Even as a philosophical entity, a source of motion requires the ability to exert energy to function. According to the first law of thermodynamics, the notion of an unmoved mover cannot exist, as the Prime Mover needs to be provided with energy to function, since the world remains in a cyclical flow of time. Without a prior supply of such energy, the Prime Mover cannot exist, and thus, time cannot persist in a circular motion. Consequently, the ground of being, if considered to be individualistic and particular to different substances, can only exist on a planar fabric of time. Being needs to be considered as a particularity, since a vector flow of time would not allow for repetition.

Conclusion: The Permanency of the Ground of Being

Therefore, if the time plane exists infinitely, the ground of being of certain things (such as AI) cannot be considered to end at one particular point, because their unity cannot be determined to end at a point that isn't forceful termination. Deliberate termination must be accounted for, because, under the Aristotelian premise, things will continue to move towards their end even when one doesn’t actively seek to terminate it (because time is circular).

It is thus reasonable to conclude that the permanency of the ground of being varies according to the subject in question. In the case of humans, death is an unavoidable end, rendering their ground of being perishable. In contrast, for innovations such as artificial intelligence, determining their "good" and their end is impossible. Therefore, it would be incorrect to presume their ground of being as impermanent, as it may very well be everlasting and imperishable.

References

Aristotle. (1984). Metaphysics (W. D. Ross, Trans.). In J. Barnes (Ed.), The Complete Works of Aristotle. Princeton University Press.