Aspectos metaontológicos e semânticos do tratamento aristotélico do princípio da não-contradição

Abstract

In Metaphysics Gamma, Aristotle treats extensively of the Principle of Non-Contradiction (PNC). First, Aristotle defends the attribution of the study of the PNC to metaphysics, and then argues against alleged deniers of the principle. In this work, we’ll examine both these aspects. Firstly, we’ll inquire as to why and how should metaphysics study the PNC, and this will lead us to consider how Aristotle conceives metaphysics and the scientific knowledge of principles. Following that, we’ll examine one of the arguments in favor of the PNC, the elenctic argument, focusing on the notions of meaning and definition involved in it and in the role that they play in the argument. Lastly, we’ll consider what this inquiry reveals about the Aristotelian conceptions of the PNC, metaphysics and language, and we’ll raise questions to be left unanswered for exploration in future research.