Defense Date
3-11-2024
Graduation Date
Spring 5-10-2024
Availability
One-year Embargo
Submission Type
dissertation
Degree Name
PhD
Department
Philosophy
School
McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
Committee Chair
Kelly Arenson
Committee Member
Ronald Polansky
Committee Member
Michael Harrington
Keywords
Aristotle, Aristotelian Logic, Posterior Analytics, Ancient Science, History of Science, History of Philosophy, Methodology, Aristotle's Organon, Demonstration, Ancient Epistemology
Abstract
Aristotle’s division between practical, productive, and theoretical sciences is widely acknowledged, and it is uncontroversial to say that it organizes his texts. However, contemporary scholarship often treats the division of the sciences as a mere organizational structure without investigating its underlying principles. My dissertation seeks to correct this oversight by investigating the logical principles of Aristotle’s division of the sciences in the Posterior Analytics’ account of scientific knowledge (ἐπιστήμη). My central argument is that Aristotle sees the sciences as inherently divided, so that a demonstrative science of everything is impossible. By understanding why science is divided, we are better equipped to approach virtually every area of Aristotle’s thought.
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Lutz, C. (2024). Aristotle's Division of the Sciences and the Impossibility of a Science of Everything (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/2344
Included in
Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Ancient Philosophy Commons, Epistemology Commons, History of Philosophy Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Metaphysics Commons, Philosophy of Science Commons