Aristotle, Change and Stability

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the doctrines of Aristotle, as they relate to change and stability and how they are superior to those of Plato, Parmenides and Heraclitus. It also examines his astonishing ability to realize the true nature of physical reality some two thousand years before it was officially recognized and understood.

From the Paper:

"One of Aristotle's specific categories of explanation is related to "origin of movement," or what we commonly refer to as "change." This is a subject which the Greek philosopher Plato, Aristotle's mentor and teacher, often thought about when contemplating the mysteries of time,
space and reality. According to Plato, "real things (being forms) do not change" except in the realm of appearances, i.e., the physical world. In contrast, Aristotle insisted that "there must be three basic ingredients in every example of change--a pair of opposites and an underlying subject of change," something which Plato wholly disagreed with, for he was convinced that a pair of opposites were all that was necessary for change (Cohen, Internet)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cohen, S. Marc. "Aristotle on Change." Internet. 2004. Retrieved from http://faculty. washington.edu/smcohen/320/archange.htm.
• Martin, Thomas R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Tines. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1996.
• Sola, Andrew. "Dialectic (500 B.C.E.)." The Literary Encyclopedia. Internet. 2006. December 21, 2003. Retrieved from http://www.litercyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID= 271.

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