138. Linguistic Translation and the Problem of Categories

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

• The Problem of Translation in Philosophy: Different languages carry philosophical meaning differently; finding one English word to correspond to a Greek or Latin term often loses essential conceptual content
• Episteme vs. Understanding: The Greek term ἐπιστήμη has the sense of “coming to a halt or a stop,” better translated as “reasoned-out understanding” rather than “knowledge,” distinguishing it from natural understanding
• Category and Kategoria: The Greek word κατηγορία derives from courtroom accusation; the term “category” in English obscures this original meaning
• Predicamentum and Predicament: The Latin predicamentum (from praedicāre, “to assert of” or “set up”) connects to the English word “predicament” (a situation one cannot escape), preserving the idea that once something is in a genus, it cannot exit that genus
• The Five Predicables: Genus, species, difference, property, and accident—tools for understanding Aristotle’s categories and essential for division, definition, and demonstration
• The Connection Between Predicables and Predicaments: Understanding predicables is necessary not only for knowing the categories of Aristotle but for understanding how names are said univocally of many things

Key Arguments #

Etymology as Philosophical Illumination #

• The original meanings of philosophical terms reveal deeper conceptual structures
• Example: “category” comes from κατηγορία (accusation in court); just as one must accuse someone of something to bring them to trial, so too one must predicate something of a subject (the accused becomes stuck with the accusation, just as something becomes stuck in a genus)
• The English word “predicament” accidentally preserves this sense: once something is in a genus (say, quantity), it cannot escape to another genus (say, relation)

The Function of Predicables #

• Every name said univocally of many things must be either their genus, species, difference, property, or accident—this is a complete division
• Porphyry gathers this teaching from what Aristotle says in various places about genus and species
• These five predicables are essential for three operations:
  1. Division: Dividing a genus into its species (e.g., quadrilateral into square, oblong, rhombus, rhomboid, trapezium)
  2. Definition: Making known a species through its genus and differences (e.g., “an equilateral and right-angled quadrilateral” defines square)
  3. Demonstration: Proving that a property belongs to a species through knowledge of that species’ genus and differences

Predicables vs. Predicaments (Categories) #

• Predicables (praedicābilia): Five ways that names are said of things
• Predicaments (praedicamenta): The ten highest genera under which all things fall (substance, quantity, quality, relation, etc.)
• The predicables help us understand how things fall under and are said within the predicaments

Important Definitions #

• Ἐπιστήμη (episteme): Reasoned-out understanding; understanding after emotion; the stopping-point of inquiry
• Κατηγορία (kategoria): In Greek, “accusation” in a courtroom; what is said of an accused; the predication of something of something else
• Praedicamentum: Latin term for category; from praedicāre (to assert or set up something of another); implies being stuck in that genus
• Praedicābilia (Predicables): The five ways names are said of things: genus, species, difference, property, accident
• Praedicamenta (Predicaments/Categories): The ten highest genera: substance, quantity, quality, relation, action, passion, position, possession, time, place

Examples & Illustrations #

The Etymology of “Predicament” #

• A “predicament” in English means a difficult situation one cannot escape from
• This accidentally preserves the philosophical meaning: if something is in the genus of quantity, it cannot escape to the genus of relation; a square cannot escape the genus of quadrilateral
• People fear being “labeled and stuck with sin and title”—once categorized, they are trapped there

The Predicables in Action #

• Division: Euclid divides quadrilateral into square, oblong, rhombus, rhomboid, trapezium; numbers into odd/even or prime/composite
• Definition: “Equilateral and right-angled quadrilateral” makes known the species square by its genus (quadrilateral) and its differences (equilateral, right-angled)
• Demonstration: In geometry, one proves a property belongs to a species by appealing to what that species is (its genus and differences)

The Way Things Are Said #

• Aristotle leads us by hand “per modum praedicationis” (by way of how something is said of something)—this is the logical way
• Later, Aristotle leads “per modum motus” (by way of motion)—this is the way of natural philosophy
• In theology, Thomas constantly distinguishes the way something is said of God and creatures

Questions Addressed #

Question: What does it mean to say that a name is said univocally of many things? #

• Answer: Every name said univocally of many things must fall into one of five predicables: it must be their genus, species, difference, property, or accident. This is a complete division. This principle becomes especially important when Thomas asks whether any name is said univocally of both God and creatures.

Question: Why is understanding predicables essential for philosophy? #

• Answer: Understanding predicables is necessary not only for knowing Aristotle’s categories but also for understanding division, definition, and demonstration—the three fundamental operations of rational inquiry

Connections to Broader Themes #

• Logic as the Study of Predication: Logic fundamentally concerns how something is said of something else (κατηγορεῖν); this runs through the entire logical corpus (Peri hermenias, Prior Analytics, Posterior Analytics, Topics)
• The Transition from Logic to Metaphysics: Aristotle uses logical language (predication) to lead us into metaphysics; once in metaphysics, he uses the language of motion (natural philosophy) to lead further; this reflects the different approaches of different disciplines
• Medieval Curriculum: In medieval universities (e.g., University of Paris), philosophical education followed this pattern: logic through the logical works, then natural philosophy through the Physics, then metaphysics through the Metaphysics