Christian Metaphysics – Part 2: Aristotelianism

This summary on Christian metaphysics and Aristotelianism is from the Introduction to Four Views on Christian Metaphysics.

Aristotelianism shares with Platonic metaphysics aspects of its dualism and its realism. However, it maintains some distinctions from Platonism regarding the relation between the two parts of reality, physical and non-physical reality. For example, Aristotelians agree with Platonists that universals (like redness or humanity) are real, but they disagree as to whether these universals can exist uninstantiated (apart from the things that have them). Platonists will say yes, redness really exists even if there are no red things, while Aristotelians will deny this. Aristotelianism found its greatest champion in the history of Christian metaphysics in the person of Thomas Aquinas. Christian Aristotelians often follow Aquinas’ lead in making sense of the nature of existence, the nature of the soul (again a form of dualism, but very different from that of Platonism), and the nature of universals, especially as to their relation to the mind of God.

I recommend obtaining a copy of the book and reading Chapter 2. The outline for the chapter is as follows:

2.1 Aristotelianism – Timothy L. Jacobs

2.2 Platonism Response – Paul M. Gould

2.3 Idealism Response – James S. Spiegel

2.4 Postmodernism Response – Sam Welbaum

2.5 Aristotelianism Reply – Timothy L. Jacobs

~ Boethius ~