Of indetermination and discourse: an interpretation of Aristotle's concept of ousía as apotropaic ontology

Authors

  • Jaime Llorente

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5944/endoxa.28.2011.5291

Keywords:

Aristotle, entity, indetermination, predication, being, Plato, matter,

Abstract

The present article may be considered a hermeneutic attempt addressed to the ultimate meaning of the key concept that supports the whole theoretical construction of Aristotle's Metaphysics. Thus, it expounds an “apotropaic” interpretation of the ontologically preeminent position granted by Aristotle to the concept of ousía. According to this interpretation, the ousía appears as an eminently determined and defined element that achieves the removal and concealment of the permanent menace represented by ontological indetermination, guaranteeing, simultaneously, the exercise of discursive predication made impossible by the consideration of the indefinite as the first substance. From this point of view, Plato’s and Aristotle´s ontologies pursue the same objective, in the end, although they do so by adopting apparently divergent theoretical perspectives.

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Published

2011-12-01

How to Cite

Llorente, J. (2011). Of indetermination and discourse: an interpretation of Aristotle’s concept of ousía as apotropaic ontology. ENDOXA, 1(28), 47–70. https://doi.org/10.5944/endoxa.28.2011.5291

Issue

No. 28 (2011)

Section

Papers and Texts

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