Concept
Physis
Overview
Physis (; Ancient Greek: φύσις [pʰýsis]; pl. physeis, φύσεις) is a Greek philosophical, theological, and scientific term, usually translated into English—according to its Latin translation "natura"—as "nature". The term originated in ancient Greek philosophy, and was later used in Christian theology and Western philosophy. In pre-Socratic usage, physis was contrasted with νόμος, nomos, "law, human convention". Another opposition, particularly well-known from the works of Aristotle, is that of physis and techne – in this case, what is produced and what is artificial are distinguished from beings that arise spontaneously from their own essence, as do agents such as humans. Further, since Aristotle the physical (the subject matter of physics, properly τὰ φυσικά "natural things") has been juxtaposed to the metaphysical.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
Substance, in the truest and primary and most definite sense of the word, is that which is neither predicable of a subject nor present in a subject; for instance, the individual man or horse. But in a secondary sense those things are called substances within which, as species, the primary substances are included; also those which, as genera, include the species. For instance, the individual man is included in the…
Aristotle, The Categories
States what Physis is; the author is tied to Physis in the knowledge graph.
That society then which nature has established for daily support is the domestic, and those who compose it are called by Charondas _homosipuoi_, and by Epimenides the Cretan _homokapnoi_; but the society of many families, which was first instituted for their lasting, mutual advantage, is called a village, and a village is most naturally composed of the descendants of one family, whom some persons call homogalaktes…
Aristotle, Politics
States what Physis is; the author is tied to Physis in the knowledge graph.
But in the universities of Europe, where philosophy was taught only as subservient to theology, it was natural to dwell longer upon these two chapters than upon any other of the science. They were gradually more and more extended, and were divided into many inferior chapters; till at last the doctrine of spirits, of which so little can be known, came to take up as much room in the system of philosophy as the…
Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
States what Physis is.
Philosophers who discussed Physis
- John Scotus Eriugena
- Panaetius
- Anaximenes of Miletus
- Diogenes of Apollonia
- Philolaus
- Aristocles of Messene
- Pherecydes of Syros
Related ideas
- Epicurus
- Greek language
- Laws (dialogue)
- Philosophy
- Western philosophy
- Heraclitus
- Judeo-Christian
- Physics (Aristotle)
- Ancient Greek philosophy
- Latin
- Leucippus
- Metaphysics
- Law
- Grace in Christianity
- Stoicism
- University of Chicago Press
- Nature
- Natural law
- Odyssey
- Physics
- Physiology
- Ionian school (philosophy)
- Metaphysics (Aristotle)
- Science
Place in the tradition
Part of Anarchism.