The Greek word translated “matter” (hulē) originally meant
trees, wood, or lumber. Aristotle is the first Greek philosopher to
develop the notion of matter and put it at the center of his
understanding of the natural world. What is this notion and how
different is it from our own notion? In this seminar, we will consider
how and why Aristotle places matter at the theoretical foundation of
natural science as well as how he uses it in his scientific works.
Aristotle is the first systematic biologist; more than 400 pages of his
biological treatises exist. In addition to considering how he describes
matter in his theoretical works, we will consider examples of how he
uses matter in his biological and non-biological scientific treatises.
- Course owner: Hendrik Liermann
Semester: WiTerm 2020/21