The Meaning of Genus in Ancient Greek Philosophy up to Aristotle and in Thomas Aquinas

Journal Title: Studia Gilsoniana - Year 2019, Vol 8, Issue 3

Abstract

The term “genus” has evolved over time. This paper traces development of the word from the common usage of Ancient Greece, through the pre-Socratic philosophers and Plato, and up to the more technical use in Aristotle. It began in common use to mean a class or race of people, most specifically referring to people with a common parentage. The pre-Socratics applied the term to refer to things that were generated. Plato used the term to refer to groups of people generated by a common interest or aim. Aristotle employed it in different ways based on his predecessors. This paper makes comparisons between these usages and the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. It argues that understanding the development of “genus” facilitates understanding how Thomas Aquinas used it.

Authors and Affiliations

Matthew D’Antuono

Keywords

Related Articles

Peter A. Redpath, The Moral Psychology of St. Thomas Aquinas: An Introduction to Ragamuffin Ethics

Author Peter Redpath outlines a personalist Thomism, a philoso-phy for the acting person. He aims to correct what he sees as miscon-ceptions of St. Thomas’s teachings in large part due to Cartesian phi-losophy and the We...

ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL PROPERTIES OF REAL BEINGS

The article analyzes the metaphysical approach to the rational cognition of the world of persons and things. It shows the way in which metaphysicians reveal the essential and universal properties of the world and the law...

THE GOOD AS THE MOTIVE OF HUMAN ACTION ACCORDING TO MIECZYSŁAW ALBERT KRĄPIEC

In this article the authoress has presented the understanding of the good as the motive for human action on the basis of the position of M. A. Krąpiec. At the beginning, the authoress has concentrated on an analysis of t...

PERSONALISM IN THE LUBLIN SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY (CARD. KAROL WOJTYŁA, FR. MIECZYSŁAW A. KRĄPIEC)

The article presents the conception of personalism and the understanding of human person developed by two Polish philosophers: Karol Wojtyła and Mieczysław A. Krąpiec, the framers and the main representatives of the Lubl...

THE COMMON SENSE PERSONALISM OF ST. JOHN PAUL II (KAROL WOJTYLA)

The article aims at showing that the philosophical personalism of Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) stems from the common sense approach to reality. First, it presents Karol Wojtyla as a framer of the Lublin Philoso-phic...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP620127
  • DOI 10.26385/SG.080215
  • Views 215
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Matthew D’Antuono (2019). The Meaning of Genus in Ancient Greek Philosophy up to Aristotle and in Thomas Aquinas. Studia Gilsoniana, 8(3), 515-545. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-620127