Metaphysics (Feb 2015)
Aristotle's Issue in the Ninth Chapter of Al-Ebara
Abstract
In Al-Ebara, Aristotle tells about two contradictories that one of them is essentially right and the other one is false, but in chapter nine, he remarks that this subject is not right about probable personal statements related to future, because otherwise one must be the follower of determinism. However, determinism is not acceptable, therefore the discussed rule about future personal statements is not established. There are lots of interpretations for these statements. The traditional commentators believe that Aristotle negates the generality of principle of third subparagraph's rejection or the principle of indicative statements' being two-valued. There is another widespread interpretation which points out that Aristotle's intention here is to note that the necessity of principle of third subparagraph can't eventuate the necessity of one of the components of the disjunction which reflects this principle. The first interpretation is more successful in contrast to determinism, but is not consonant with Aristotle's other ideas. The second interpretation, although is not successful in contrast to determinism, but is consonant with Aristotle's other ideas. It seems that Aristotle's main purpose in this chapter, is not reasoning against determinism, but he is concerned that his viewpoints about two contradictories may be used in arguments in favor of determinism, therefore he tries not to allow this improper use. Non-traditional interpretation is more successful in presentation of this concern.
