Individuation and diachronic identity in Aristotle: matter, form and the ontological status of substantial forms

Authors

  • Pedro Teixeira Zanchin Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Keywords:

Aristotle, individuation, identity, forms

Abstract

This article investigates the relation between the problem of individuation and the ontological status of substancial forms in Aristotle. Drawing on the distinction between synchronic and diachronic individuation, it examines M. Frede’s thesis that identity over time requires individual forms. It considers an objection to this thesis and the universalist alternative according to which the identity of material objects can be explained by the interaction of matter and form in a composite substance. It argues that the problem of individuation is not sufficient to determine the ontological status of forms.

Author Biography

Pedro Teixeira Zanchin, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Pesquisador na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), RS, Brasil.

References

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Published

2026-10-29

Issue

No. 57 (2026)

Section

Articles

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