Workshop at The Finnish Institute at Athens
8–9 April 2025
Lassi Jakola (FIA) & Mika Perälä (Helsinki)
In Aristotle’s philosophical writings, the Greek term δύναμις plays a crucial and highly multifaceted role, appearing in all major treatises within the Corpus Aristotelicum. In logic, it denotes possibility; in natural philosophy, it refers to the capacity or power of a non-living or living being; and in metaphysics, it signifies potential being in contrast to actual being (ἐνέργεια or ἐντελέχεια). Additionally, in ethics, δύναμις is closely associated with the notion of habitual state or disposition (ἕξις, διάθεσις), which is central to the account of character virtues. While these uses are interrelated, scholars disagree on how best to illuminate their complex interconnections across different contexts. To address this issue and offer fresh insights into δύναμις, this workshop brings together an international team of specialists. The presented papers explore the various uses of δύναμις and its cognates not only in Aristotle’s writings but also in the works of his predecessors and successors.
Program
DAY 1 – Tuesday 8 April 2025
09:10–19:15 Petra Pakkanen: Welcome words
09:15–09:45 Mika Perälä and Lassi Jakola: Shaping Dunamis. An Introduction to the Workshop
Session I. Dunamis before Aristotle:
09:45–10:45 Lassi Jakola: Dunamis and its Cognates in pre-Aristotelian Sources
11:00–12:15 Thomas Johansen: Powers in Plato’s Timaeus
Session II. Natural Philosophy:
14:00–15:15 Stasinos Stavrianeas: The Powers of Material Elements and Mixtures
15:15–16:30 David Lefebvre: Powers and Motions in Aristotle’s Generation of Animals
17:00–18:15 Christopher Shields: Changes and Transitions in Aristotle’s De Anima: a Problem and a Promise
DAY 2 – Wednesday 9 April 2025
Session III. Metaphysics:
10:00–11:15 Thomas Buchheim: Rational Abilities (δυνάμεις μετὰ λόγου). Aristotle’s Conceptualization of the Notion of Free Choice
Session IV. Logic and Ethics:
11:15–12:30 Marko Malink: Nature and Possibility in Prior Analytics 1.13
14:30–15:45 Mika Perälä: The Language of Virtue. Aristotle’s Use of Dunamis, Hexis, and Diathesis
Session V. Dunamis in Alexander of Aphrodisias:
15:45–17:00 Dafni Argyri & Katerina Ierodiakonou: The Soul’s Capacities in Alexander of Aphrodisias
17:30–18:45 Miira Tuominen: Intellect in Dunamis: Does Alexander of Aphrodisias Subscribe to Reason’s Receptivity?
To join the workshop via Zoom please register in advance:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/0HMClgtaQoez2C0SD0jmLA