An Assessment of Nature and Epistemic Roles of Principle of Non-Contradiction with Special Emphasis on Aristotle's Opinion

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor and faculty member of Baqir al-ulum University

Abstract

The main question addressed by this study is: What is Aristotle's formulation of the principle of non-contradiction and what are its epistemic roles? Using an analytic methodology and based on Aristotle's works this study assesses the nature and epistemic roles of the principle of non-contradiction. Based on this study, Aristotle has, on the whole, given seventeen formulations of the principle of non-contradiction. One can arrange these formulations into two groups: ontological formulations and logical formulations. The former focuses on 'existence' as the axis of the formulation of the principle of non-contradiction whereas the latter concentrates on the concepts of statement, negation and affirmation. According to this study, the ontological formulation of the principle of non-contradiction can be reduced to the opposition of words. Thus the limitations considered by Aristotle in his logical formulation of the principle of non-contradiction explain the unity of two concepts under all circumstance and the only difference they have is that one is negative in comparison to the other. Based on the findings of this research, Aristotle is of the view that in attaining knowledge the principle of non-contradiction is prior to any other type of knowledge whether notion or assertion. In other words, in Aristotle's philosophy the principle of non-contradiction is a principle (arche) for obtaining any other type of knowledge. The 'absolute priority' indicates that the principle of non-contradiction plays four epistemic roles which consist of justificatory base, indicatory base, signification base and practical base.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1.  1.     ابن‌سینا، حسین‌بن‌عبدالله (1375ق). البرهان من الشفاء. تحقیق ابوالعلا عفیفی، قاهره: المطبعة الامیریة.

     2.     ارسطو (1377). متافیزیک. ترجمه شرف‌الدین خراسانی. تهران: حکمت.

     3.     ـــــ (1378). مابعدالطبیعه. ترجمه محمدحسن لطفی. تهران: طرح نو.

     4.     بدوی، عبدالرحمن (1980م). منطق ارسطو. ج1. بیروت: دارالقلم.

     5.     جوادی آملی، عبدالله (1378). معرفت‌شناسی در قرآن. قم: مرکز نشر اسراء.

     6.     راس، دیوید (1377). ارسطو. ترجمه مهدی قوام‌صفری. تهران: فکر روز.

     7.     صدرالدین شیرازی، محمدبن‌ابراهیم (1981م).  الحکمة المتعالیة فی الاسفار العقلیة الاربعة. بیروت: داراحیاء التراث العربی.

     8.     فارابی، محمدبن‌محمد (1408ق). المنطقیات. تحقیق محمدتقی دانش‌پژوه. قم: مکتبة آیة‌الله العظمی المرعشی النجفی.

     9.     قوام‌صفری، مهدی (1386). مابعدالطبیعه چگونه ممکن است. تهران: پژوهشگاه فرهنگ و اندیشه اسلامی.

    10.گاتری، ویلیام کنت چمبرز (1375). تاریخ فلسفهٔ یونان. ج3. فیثاغورس و فیثاغورثیان. ترجمه مهدی قوام صفری. تهران: فکر روز.

    11.ماکوولسکی، الکساندر (1364). تاریخ منطق. ترجمه فریدون شایان. تهران: پیشرو.

    12.مطهری، مرتضی (1374). مجموعه آثار. ج6. تهران: صدرا، چاپ سوم.

    13.نوسبام، مارتا (1380). ارسطو. ترجمه عزت‌الله فولادوند. تهران، طرح نو.

    • Barnes, Jonathan, ed. (1984). The Complete Works of Aristotle. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
    •  ------------------------- (1995). Aristotle. New York: Cambridge University Press.
    • Barnes, Jonathan, and Sorabji, M. S. R. (1979). Aristotle. London: Duckworth.
    • Kirwan, C. (1993). Aristotle: Metaphysics, books Gama, Delta, Epsilon. 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 27 August 2014
  • Revise Date: 04 October 2014
  • Accept Date: 07 October 2014

Share

How to cite

Statistics