11/30 Aristotle Introduction 579-584; Categories IV-V, 590-591; Physics II.1, 634-636; II.3, 639-640; II.7, 647

Themes: Primary and secondary substance, the four causes

1. In the Categories, how does Aristotle distinguish between substance and attributes of substance such as quantity and quality? And how does he distinguish between primary and secondary substances?

2. How does Aristotle distinguish between natural entities and artifacts (i.e., non-living things produced by human beings, such as furniture, houses, and cars)? Why does he say that the former are substances but not the latter?

3. What are the four causes? What does Aristotle mean when he says that three of them often coincide in natural entities (Physics II.7)?