Aristotle

Aristotle, who lived in Greece in the years 384 – 322 before Christ, was, according to some, the greatest philosopher ever. The sophists had shown the uncertainty of reasoning, he instead turned his thoughts towards understanding, as clearly as possible, how the objects of the world are made. He concluded that everything that exists is made of matter and form. It is easy to admit, for example, that a table is nothing but wood (material) shaped according to a certain form; every other thing that exists in this world is made the same way. According to Aristotle, the difference in form is an indication of another difference that is not seen, namely the difference of substance.
The word “substance” derives from the Latin “sub”, which means “below”, plus the addition of the verb “to stay”: sub-stance is “what is laying below”, which is something that is there, but is not seen, exepting being deduced by the difference that results in the visible form. Another word equivalent to “substance” is “hypostasis”: in Greek ‘υπό means “below”: so, hypo-stasis means “what is laying below” as well. Substance can be indicated by other similar terms: “essence” (think of when we say “the true essence” of something), “nature” (“the true, intimate nature” of something). For example, the difference in form between a man and a horse, even if they are composed of same matter, that is, flesh and bones, tells us that there is also a difference of substance between them. Further proof of this hidden difference is given by differences in the abilities to behaviors. Aristotle spoke about these things in some books, which followed others in which he had dealt with the physics of things; therefore these subjects were later called “meta-physics”, since in Greek the word μετά means “after”: therefore “metaphysics” meant “the philosophical reflections written by Aristotle after those about physics”. Today the term can be considered with the meaning of “a phylosophy based on the existence of essences that are not seen” (ie the “substance” we have spoken about); we can refer metaphysics to Plato as well, since we have seen that he places the essence of things in a world that cannot be seen, that is, the world of ideas; however, we must not forget that this is our application of the term: actually Plato never used the word “metaphysics”. Today the meaning of “metaphysics” is more complex and varied, based on the different ways how different philosophers and even certain artists have conceived it; here we are going focus on this meaning: metaphysics as a philosophy based on the existence of essences that are not seen, but are recognized as the true nature of things. According to Aristotle the true nature of man, compared to horses, consists in something that he called “humanity”, something that is not seen, but that proves to be real because it makes man behave differently from the horse; the nature of the horse, according to this reasoning, is called somewhat like “horsity”. Another important characteristic of metaphysics is trust in the existence of a world that is outside our mind and is the source our sensations, as to say: if we touch an object, we trust that it is not an illusion, a dream with open eyes, but an object that actually exists outside our body, outside our mind.
Aristotle’s philosophy is fascinating because it gives an impression of great clarity and order, in opposition to that of Heraclitus and the Sophists; therefore, those who follow Aristotle’s philosophy can feel a sense of safety, comfort, because everything is defined in its being, in the place it occupies amid the great mosaic, perfectly ordered, of the nature of the world. The world is conceived like a big castle where every brick is in its place, like an arranged puzzle, where no piece is missing; in this vision the world is ordered, complete, harmonious.