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The Razor Argument of Metaphysics A.9

José Edgar González Varela

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Abstract

Abstract I discuss Aristotle’s opening argument against Platonic Forms inMetaphysicsA.9, ‘the Razor’, which criticizes the introduction of Forms on the basis of an analogy with a hypothetical case of counting things. I argue for a new interpretation of this argument, and show that it involves two interesting objections against the introduction of Forms as formal causes: one concerns the completeness and the other the adequacy of such an explanatory project.

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Abstract I discuss Aristotle’s opening argument against Platonic Forms inMetaphysicsA.9, ‘the Razor’, which criticizes the introduction of Forms on the basis of an analogy with a hypothetical case of counting things. I argue for a new interpretation of this argument, and show that it involves two interesting objections against the introduction of Forms as formal causes: one concerns the completeness and the other the adequacy of such an explanatory project.

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Available abstract

Abstract I discuss Aristotle’s opening argument against Platonic Forms inMetaphysicsA.9, ‘the Razor’, which criticizes the introduction of Forms on the basis of an analogy with a hypothetical case of counting things. I argue for a new interpretation of this argument, and show that it involves two interesting objections against the introduction of Forms as formal causes: one concerns the completeness and the other the adequacy of such an explanatory project.

Key concepts: Metaphysics, Argument (complex analysis), Epistemology, Philosophy, Interpretation (philosophy), Analogy, Ancient philosophy, Completeness (order theory)

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