Workshop in Ancient Philosophy (Thursday - Week 1, MT23)
Thursday 12 October, 4:00pm
Ryle Room, Radcliffe Humanities
Bridget Brasher (MIT): 'How Can Aristotle Prove Nonexistence? An Analysis of Physics IV 6-9'
Chair: Teddy Jennings
I examine Aristotle’s inquiry on void in Physics IV 6-9 and find that Aristotle has a considered method for proving nonexistence claims. I find that this method for proving nonexistence is a counterpart of the method for proving existence that Aristotle outlines in An. Post. II 1-2. By analyzing the application of this counterpart method in Physics IV 6-9, I find that both (i) Aristotle has certain considered grounds for saying what a nonexistent thing like void is or would be in order to prove that such a thing does not exist, and (ii) Aristotle can demonstrate the nonexistence of something using his own logic without violating the existence entailments of that logic.
Workshop in Ancient Philosophy Convenors: Ursula Coope, Simon Shogry and Alexander Bown