Species (metaphysics)

Species (metaphysics)

Species (used as a noun) in metaphysics are defined by their genus (genos) and differentia (diaphora).

For example, a human being as a species can be defined as an animal (genus) that can reason (differentia).

The term is derived from the Greek word, eidos, which means form in Plato's dialogues, but should be taken to mean species in Aristotle's corpus.

External links

*Aristotle's Logic, at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, has a succinct entry on species.
**http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-logic/#definitions


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