What is living? Aristotle and the metaphysical problem of biological processes
Author:
Manuel Cruz Ortiz de Landázuri
Location:
Espíritu: ISSN 0014-0716, Year 68, Issue 158, 2019, pages 461-483
Language:
Spanish
Abstract:
Aristotle distinguishes in Book IX of Metaphysics two kinds of acts: on the one hand the processes, that take place in time and are not perfect; on the other hand the perfect activities, in which the end is the activity itself and therefore do not require a temporary process for its realization. In this way Aristotle says that living is a perfect activity. Now, it is clear that life is composed of biological processes that require time. In this article I try to clarify how the processes can be part of a perfect activity and for this reason I try to clarify the role of the soul as a form that gives order to matter, which is developed in processes.
Key words:
activity, form, matter, process, soul.