The role of analogy in Aristotle's theory of Particular Justice
The thesis is that Aristotle's theory of justice, particularly Particular Justice, is only properly explicable in terms of proportion theory. In the innumerable assessments of the theory that have been made nods have been given in the direction of analogy, but nods only. Almost always these have been accompanied by complaints about Aristotle's persistently dragging in 'mathematical' figures, references, and explanations. What these complaints have overlooked is that the theory is soaked in the language of proportionality because his conception of Particular Justice is inherently (and in a sense only) about greater and less. Hence it is about equality; and hence about the modes of equality. I have, therefore, begun by looking at the nature of ratio and proportion; at the models of proportion known by Aristotle's time; and especially at the then new Eudoxian theory of proportions. Aristotle combines these with his own heuristic development of generic structure. His use of generic structure in the life-sciences has become better understood than hitherto, but not so much its combination with analogy. In the areas of justice and exchange the combination has hardly been appreciated at all. From the 17th century
Greenwood, George Michael
The role of analogy in Aristotle's theory of Particular Justice. The thesis is that Aristotle's theory of justice, particularly Particular Justice, is only properly explicable in terms of proportion theory. In the innumerable assessments of the theory that have been made nods have been given in the direction of analogy, but nods only. Almost always these have been accompanied by complaints about Aristotle's persistently dragging in 'mathematical' figures, references, and explanations. What these complaints have overlooked is that the theory is soaked in the language of proportionality because his conception of Particular Justice is inherently (and in a sense only) about greater and less. Hence it is about equality; and hence about the modes of equality. I have, therefore, begun by looking at the nature of ratio and proportion; at the models of proportion known by Aristotle's time; and especially at the then new Eudoxian theory of proportions. Aristotle combines these with his own heuristic development of generic structure. His use of generic structure in the life-sciences has become better understood than hitherto, but not so much its combination with analogy. In the areas of justice and exchange the combination has hardly been appreciated at all. From the 17th century
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