Among the kinds of change distinguished by Aristotle, substantial change – coming into being and ceasing to exist – has not only pride of place, but is also of key importance for metaphysics. The talk will first sketch a model of substantial change based on Plato’s Politeia, and then compare this with Aristotle’s discussion of the topic. Doing so, I will draw on his accounts of changemakers in the Physics and Metaphysics, but also on passages from the Categories.
This lecture was given on Fri, 2 July 2021, 13:00 (UK time) as part of the workshop Change and Changemakers in Ancient Philosophy. The workshop is a collaborative initiative of the Change and Changemakers Network (Siegen) together with the Mereology of Potentiality Project (Oxford).