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Where do words like "colour" and "age" fit into Aristotle's Categories?

User DonRumatta
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Final answer:

In Aristotle's Categories, words like "colour" and "age" would be classified as qualities that describe the mode in which a subject exists. Complex concepts, such as 'the good', do not fit neatly into one category and require observation of particulars. Aristotle's approach focuses on the tangible instances where these qualities and concepts are present.

Step-by-step explanation:

Words like "color" and "age" fit into Aristotle's Categories as qualities that express a mode in which the substance exists. Aristotle's list of categories is a way to describe the properties and characteristics of beings in the world and how we can understand them through language and thought. The word "color" falls under the category of 'Quality,' which refers to the attributes that a substance has, such as its color, shape, or size. Similarly, "age" is also a quality because it describes a state or condition of a being, providing information about the stage of existence or development of the subject.

While simple entities can often be described by their particular categories, Aristotle recognized that more complex concepts, like "the good," can be said in many ways and are difficult to define under a singular category. Instead, understanding such concepts requires the observation of specific instances and the recognition of the species and genera to which they belong. This is part of Aristotle's departure from Plato's idea of Forms, focussing instead on the particulars that embody the qualities in reality.

In the case of complex and abstract qualities, like potentiality and actuality, Aristotle suggests that things strive to move from a state of incompleteness to a state of fulfillment. This emphasizes not only the current qualities of an entity but also the capacity or potential for change and development towards an ideal form of itself within the physical world.

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