From Four Causes to Four Roots:on Empedocles'Pioneer and Foundation on Aristotelian Cosmology
Although Aristotelian cosmogony based on the four-cause matrix has insight into the deep mechanism of the growth and change process of or-ganisms in the form of potential,this constantly ascending way of thinking also makes his cosmogony increasingly shrink into the highest level of cosmolo-gy,especially compared with Empedocles'cosmology,the former is even incomplete due to the lack of"downward necessity".This is reflected in the fol-lowing aspects:Aristotle understood the organism with four factors,while Empedocles deduced the order of the universe with four factors;Aristotle presents the closed picture of the hierarchical cosmology in the form of potential,while Empedocles explains the cosmic variables in the form of equal alternation;Aristotle's supreme aim is to be good,Empedocles unites all things by love and strife,Therefore,the dynamic equilibrium of pre-Socratic cosmology presented by Empedocles is not a simple return to classical thought resources,but a key step to pioneer and foundation on the evolution mechanism of ancient cosmology.
AristotleEmpedoclescosmologyfour roots theorylove and strife
万方数据
