| Generally the academia holds an opinion that Aristotelian metaphysics is a study of exploring, with no a scheduled and consistent system, but a gap and tension; but I think there is an inherent consistent logic and system in Aristotelian metaphysics, from which we can achieve coherent understanding on metaphysics, based on my comprehensive deep inquiry on Aristotelian texts and many research data. This article tries to describe the system from four parts, the first, pursuit of metaphysics, on beginning; the second, start of metaphysics, on being; the third, center of metaphysics, on substance; the fourth, goal of metaphysics, on supreme good.Pursuit of metaphysics. Aristotle feels dissatisfied with the concept beginning, as original matter in early natural philosophy, and puts forward a new concept cause, four causes, to explain the world sufficiently. Then he transforms the word beginning creatively with cause, and gives it a new meaning as the start of existing, generating and understanding. Thus it is obvious that the nature and pursuit of metaphysics is to grasp the most original, primary and fundamental thing to all things, upon which all things can be known.Start of metaphysics. This part first discusses the ordinary usage of being, pointing out that being can be used to express the meaning of predication, truth, and existence, and inquiries it connected with nature, originating the same with being, showing that what Aristotle talks is being in nature, beings in generation. Then Aristotle acquires philosophical meaning of being from its ordinary meaning, being as attributes, being as itself, being as truth, and being as actuality and potency, in addition, sums up four meaning of being into being as itself in ten categories, at last, sums up essential being in ten categories into being truly as being, substance, and thus we get the focal meaning of being from its many meanings. Upon above, the subject of metaphysics can be known, and metaphysics investigates beginning and cause of substance, so the universality and perfectness of being are the same.Center of metaphysics. This part first discusses three meanings of substance, indicating that substance is primarily a spirit to pursue reality, secondly a standard of subject to ensure reality, and lastly individual as reality. Next, Aristotle seeks reality of individual from three point of view, existing, generating and understanding, and purifies experiential individual into its real itself and essence, individual form.Goal of metaphysics. Aristotle changes his view from what it is to why it is so, to pursue the beginning and cause of substance, asks why the individual is one, and regards form as the formal cause, based on consideration of potency and actuality, demonstrating that actual form is why thing is one. Owing to that actuality is in front, Aristotle explores the more actual and real thing from sensible substances, to the absolute actuality, the most complete thing, supreme good, the God, the ultimate sake of all things. Supreme good is desired and pursued by all things by virtue of its most perfectness, and things not only realize their own good, but also yearn for the supreme good, so nature is a natural system in which all things move towards supreme good. |
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