Aristotelian Categories And Cognitive Domains

Author: Hacking I.

Source: Synthese, Volume 126, Number 3, March 2001 , pp. 473-515(43)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

This paper puts together an ancient and a recent approach to classificatory language, thought, and ontology. It includes on the one hand an interpretation of Aristotle's ten categories, with remarks on his first category, called (or translated as) substance in the Categories or What a thing is in the Topics. On the other hand is the idea of domain-specific cognitive abilities urged in contemporary developmental psychology. Each family of ideas can be used to understand the other. Neither the metaphysical nor the psychological approach is intrinsically more fundamental; they complement each other. The paper incidentally clarifies distinct uses of the word ``category'' in different disciplines, and also attempts to make explicit several notions of ``domain''. It also examines Aristotle's most exotic and least discussed categories, being-in-a-position (e.g., sitting) and having-(on) (e.g., armour). Finally the paper suggests a tentative connection between Fred Sommers' theory of types and Aristotle's first category.

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto, 215 Huron Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A1

Publication date: 2001-03-01