- 231a-b(as a reference notation)
- A citation method for ancient texts: the numbers and letters refer to specific passages in Aristotle's work, like page and line numbers, so scholars can find the exact section being discussed.
- Aristotle
- Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived over 2,000 years ago and is one of the most influential thinkers in Western history. He studied nearly every subject—from animals and plants to politics and ethics—and developed practical ways of thinking that shaped how people understand the world. His ideas on logic, nature, and how to live a good life are still taught and debated today because he focused on observing the real world rather than just abstract theories.
- Atomism(Charles Taylor's characterization of the position he critiques)
- The liberal view that men are self-sufficient outside of society
- Discrete indivisibles(as particles of matter in physics)
- Tiny, separate, uncuttable pieces of matter—think of them like atoms that cannot be broken down further and have gaps between them.
- Discrete leaping(as an alternative problem in physics theory)
- The idea that motion happens through sudden jumps from one fixed point to another, rather than smooth continuous movement—like teleporting instead of walking.
- Physics (the book)(as a specific text being referenced)
- A famous work by Aristotle that explores how motion, change, and the physical world operate—not the modern science of physics, but ancient philosophical thinking about nature.
- continuous motion(as used in physics and metaphysics)
- Smooth, unbroken movement from one place to another without stopping or jumping around.
- infinite division(Zeno's argument that each of the many things has unlimited magnitude)
- The principle that for any part of a thing that is taken, there is always something further in front of it, such that division never terminates
- paradox(R. M. Sainsbury's definition, presented as a target of criticism)
- An apparently unacceptable conclusion derived by apparently acceptable reasoning from apparently acceptable premises