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Dual Categorization and the Role of Aristotle's Categories

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Dual Categorization and the Role of Aristotle's Categories Dual Categorization and the Role of Aristotle's Categories Mark Ressler August 6, 2008 Abstract In the Categories, Aristotle addresses two different cases of dual cat- egorization, cases in which the same thing might appear in two different categories: relatives and secondary substances in the first case, qualities and relatives in the second. His treatment of these two cases is markedly different. Ackrill thinks dual categorization poses a dilemma for Aris- totle's project as a whole, but I argue that there is a dilemma only on particular understandings of Aristotle's purpose in compiling the list of categories. I investigate various interpretations of the categories to find one that explains Aristotle's reactions to dual categorization, and sug- gest an interpretation of the peculiar four-fold system of classification in Chapter 2. Can one thing appear in two separate categories? It seems to me that this question cannot be answered without determining the purpose for which the categories are established. If such dual categorization causes no problems ac- cording to the intended purpose of the categorial scheme, then there seems to be no reason for complaint. This is the approach that I take with regard to Aris- totle's categorial scheme in the Categories. In this work, Aristotle addresses two separate instances of dual categorization with regard to his list of ten cate- gories, but his reaction in these cases is surprisingly different, taking great pains to avoid dual categorization in one case, but showing a marked lack of concern in the other case. This indifference in the second case leads John Ackrill to criticize Aristotle's categorial project in general; however, it seems to me that if Aristotle's reaction to dual categorization in one case seems contrary to some conception of Aristotle's purpose in developing the categorial scheme, then per- haps that conception of the purpose of the Categories may not be a conception that Aristotle himself held. In this paper I will review the two cases of dual categorization in the Cat- egories and will examine Aristotle's reaction in each case. Against these reac- tions, I will examine several general contemporary interpretations of the purpose of the Categories within the Aristotelian corpus to show how Aristotle's reac- tions occasion such criticisms as Ackrill's. I next review specific interpretations 1 by Abraham Edel and Stephen Menn concerning the purpose of the list of ten categories in an attempt to avoid such criticisms with regard to dual categoriza- tion, arguing that Menn's account better explains Aristotle's reactions to dual categorization. Finally, I suggest that the four-fold scheme of classification that appears in Chapter 2 is a replacement system of categories for the list of ten, occasioned in part by the problems raised by dual categorization for Aristotle's broader projects. 1 Aristotle presents two separate definitions of relatives in Chapter 7 of the Cate- gories. The first comes at the very beginning of the chapter. \We call relatives all such things as are said to be just what they are, of or than other things, or in some other way in relation to something else" (6a36).1 The second definition is prompted by Aristotle's concern that some secondary substances might qualify as relatives on this initial definition. The problem is that certain secondary substances, such as heads and hands, seem to meet the criterion of relatives in this definition, since \a head is called someone's head and a hand is called someone's hand" (8a26). This would then clearly be a case of dual categoriza- tion. Consequently, Aristotle offers a second definition that seems both to avoid this problem and to address the nature of relatives more essentially: \if those things are relatives for which being is the same as being somehow related to something, then perhaps some answer may be found" (8a31). The tentative way in which Aristotle presents this second definition is strik- ing. He does not assert confidently that this definition will overcome the prob- lems of the first definition, but seems rather to offer it as a mere suggestion of a solution. His subsequent discussion of this second definition seems to provide a good argument for its adequacy, so it seems unusual that Aristotle would present the definition so cautiously. For that matter, it is curious that Aristotle would offer an initial definition that he recognizes to be faulty and would discourse on the nature of relatives for several pages on the basis of that definition before addressing the inadequacy and offering a better definition. These considerations give this chapter of the Categories the flavor of a work in progress, rather than the appearance of a complete, polished theory. Here in any case, it is clear that Aristotle takes the problem of dual catego- rization seriously enough to revise a definition to avoid the problem. It is not clear from this chapter, though, whether it is the problem of dual categorization itself or the special problems that dual categorization would cause for the notion of substance that prompts Aristotle's concern. In other words, is it something about the category of substance that Aristotle feels requires the avoidance of dual categorization of things within that category, or is it the problem of dual categorization in general that Aristotle needs to avoid? Aristotle offers no ex- plicit explanation to answer this question, but he does address another instance 1 I use Ackrill's translation in this paper. See Ackrill (1963). 2 of possible dual categorization in the following chapter against which his re- action in this instance may be compared, and his response there is distinctly different. Aristotle defines qualities at the beginning of Chapter 8 as follows: \By a quality I mean that in virtue of which things are said to be qualified somehow" (8b25). Immediately Aristotle notes that quality has several different senses, which he proceeds to distinguish. At the end of the chapter, the issue of dual categorization arises again with regard to the category of relatives. \We should not be disturbed lest someone may say that though we proposed to discuss qual- ity we are counting in may relatives (since states and conditions are relatives)" (11a20). Aristotle in fact has two separate responses to this case of dual cat- egorization, but his tone in presenting the problem indicates immediately that this case of dual categorization is not a matter of concern for him. The first response is to make further distinctions concerning what is offered as a putative case of dual categorization. \For in pretty well all such cases the genera are spoken of in relation to something, but none of the particular cases is" (11a23). The genera may indeed be relatives, but the particulars are qual- ities. Aristotle offers the example of knowledge, which as a genus seems to be a relative, since it is knowledge of something, but any specific case of knowl- edge, such as grammar, is not relative. This sort of response could not have been adopted in the case of secondary substances and relatives, although since the particulars of secondary substances are primary substances, such primary substances do not fall into the first definition of relatives. However, since the genera of secondary substances are themselves secondary substances, the dis- tinction between genus and particular does not necessarily solve the problem, because it is precisely the genera that are problematic in this case. Note that Aristotle does not assert absolute confidence that all cases of putative dual categorization can be handled in this way, only that \pretty well all such cases" are open to such a solution. Consequently, Aristotle offers a second response, which is strikingly blatant in its indifference. \Moreover, if the same thing really is a qualification and a relative there is nothing absurd in its being counted in both the genera" (11a37). Unfortunately, Aristotle does not explain the grounds for this lack of absurdity. Here it does not seem to be ambiguity in categorization that prompts Aristotle's indifference, since such an ambiguity would be capable of disambiguation as Aristotle had attempted in his first response to this case of dual categorization. If such were the case, there would not seem to be any need for a second response, since some distinction would serve to disambiguate the apparent dual categorization. Rather, in this response Aristotle considers the circumstance of the same thing really belonging in two different categories, not of it merely appearing that way. Here again, it is not clear from Aristotle's reaction whether it is the peculiar nature of qualities and relatives that makes such dual categorizations permis- sible, or whether the problem of dual categorization itself is not a concern of Aristotle's at all. However, coupled with his response to the case of dual cat- egorization with regard to relatives and secondary substances, it seems that if Aristotle is going to be consistent in his approach to these two cases, then ei- 3 ther (1) dual categorization in general is not a problem, but it causes specific problems for secondary substances, or (2) dual categorization in general is a problem, but the specific nature of qualities and relatives permit a loophole to escape the problem. The second option seems suggested by Aristotle's first response to the dual categorization of qualities and relatives, since as noted, the distinction between genera and particular was not an available option to solve the dual categorization of relatives and secondary substances. Yet the first option here might be supported by the consideration of the role that the category of substance plays within the investigations into being qua being in the Metaphysics.
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