亞里士多德範疇論

Aristotle's Theory of Categories

本文探討亞里士多德的範疇理論。亞里士多德的範疇不單代表語言述謂的主要形式，而且反映存有的多種形態和基本結構。本文嘗試整理《論題篇》、《範疇篇》和《形上學》的範疇論，說明亞里士多德如何從最初的語言分析開始，逐漸開發出範疇的存有論意涵，並確立一套層次分明的實體論架構，解釋多樣和流變的經驗現象。本文亦探討亞里士多德挑選範疇背後的原則，分析以「問題形式」和「文法詞性」兩條進路解釋十範疇的完整性。亞里士多德的範疇論雖然倚重語言分析，但它並非純粹考察希臘文法，而是以語言分析為起點，透過哲學思辯來揭示思維和存有的普遍結構和特性。

This paper deals with Aristotle's theory of categories. Aristotle's categories not only represent different forms of predication, but also reflect different modes and the basic structure of beings. The paper analyzes the development of Aristotle's theory of categories from its inception in the ”Topics” as a linguistic theory of predications, then through the reformulation with the ontological theory of primary substance in the ”Categories”, and to finally reach its ontological summit in the ”Metaphysics”. The developed categories offer a framework for grasping not only the manifoldness of diversified beings, but also the dynamics of change in the empirical world. Moreover, the paper examines possible guiding principles behind Aristotle's choice of categories, discussing whether and to what extent the ten categories can be understood as an inventory of questions or a system of the lexical categories of the ancient Greek. Although Aristotle does rely heavily on linguistic analysis, his choice of categories is not determined by the Greek language. Instead, linguistic analysis is taken only as a point of departure, from which Aristotle advances to explore the universal structure of thought and reality by philosophical reflection.