Abstract
My research topic is the ontology of causation in Aristotle, with a view to
also making a contribution to contemporary philosophy. I offer a new
interpretation of Aristotle's account of causation and perception.
I argue that Aristotle understands the causal link in terms of a single
complex entity which involves essentially two interdependent natures (e.g. an
activity that grounds teaching and learning). Internally, such an entity has the
same metaphysical structure as a line that grounds two vectors with opposite
directions. But the causal entity, as opposed to the line and vectors, is itself
ontologically dependent on the two substances that are in causal interaction. This
is because the entity's two natures are the realisation of two interdependent
potentialities of the two substances (e.g. for teaching and learning).
Aristotle builds a causal bridge between substances out of mutually
realised potentialities of the two substances. Their mutual realisation binds them
together into a net of ontological dependencies which delineates the boundary of
the causal entity. In my thesis I describe the multifarious ontological
dependencies and argue that Aristotle has made a unique contribution to the
history of the analysis of causation by offering an ontological account of it in
terms of potentiality -actuality and ontological dependence.
Furthermore, Aristotle puts to use his theory of causation to account for
the metaphysical status of what we call after Locke secondary properties, e.g.
colours, sounds etc. I reconstruct Aristotle's theory of secondary properties in the
light of my understanding of his two -in -one metaphysical model. I put Aristotle's
theory of causation as applied to his theory of perception to the test of whether it
gives philosophical gains in contemporary philosophy in the field of the
philosophy of mind. I engage with David Chalmers' arguments against
Primitivism - which is a new contemporary account of the metaphysics of
colours. Primitivism is the account of colours philosophically most alike to
Aristotle's own one. I put forward my own original position on the metaphysics
of colours inspired by Aristotle's theory of causation, arguing for the core
Primitivist assumptions, while avoiding Chalmers' criticisms.
