Brentano

Thesis I: Nature of Categories

• The categories are independent concepts, not just frameworks for understanding.

• Aristotle clearly states that concepts like being are real and independent.

  • Example from Metaphysics: Being can mean different things:

    • Substance (tode ti)

    • Quantity (poson)

    • Quality (paion)

• Categories serve as foundational concepts, referenced throughout Aristotle's works, including:

  • De Anima II

  • Metaphysics V, VIII, IX

• The term "categories" itself denotes real concepts, indicating more than just locations for other concepts.

• Different terminology used for categories:

  • General concepts (koina)

  • Genera (gene)

• Categories help classify existence; they represent the frameworks within which beings are understood.

Thesis II: Categories and the Senses of Being

• Categories reflect several senses of being, understood analogically.

  • Assertion of category perceptions is not simplistic but rather complex with multiple senses:

    • Proportional analogy

    • Analogical relation to the same terminus.

• This reinforces the notion that being is not a singular concept applicable across categories.

  • Example from Metaphysics: Being can refer to substance or different qualities, and hence different categories affirm the diverse applications of being.

• Categories hold a twofold unity of analogy:

  • Relating diverse qualities under a common concept.

  • Emphasizing that categories do not share a common genus; each exists distinctly yet collectively communicates aspects of being.

  • Categories can be classified by relations to a single essence or nature (substance).

Analogy in Relation to Being

• Analogical naming leads to a clearer understanding of categories:

  • They relate to a unified essence (substance).

  • Aristotle frames this concept as categories being homonyms, sharing analogical similarity rather than univocal naming.

• Identification of categories through analogical naming indicates a kinship in concepts rather than only linguistic similarity (e.g., equating royal attributes).

  • Categories emphasize proportional relationships, such that attributes of different categories maintain specific characteristics in their relation to being.

• Conclusion:

  • Categories illustrate the complexity of being, reflecting both equality of relations and a common origin.

  • Substance emerges as the primary understanding of being, with other categories dependent on this foundational concept.