96. Categories, Predicaments, and the Etymology of Philosophical Language

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

• Etymology and Daily Speech: How philosophical terminology, especially Greek-derived words, has permeated everyday language as testimony to the influence of ancient philosophy
• The Term ‘Predicament’ (Latin: predicamentum): Derived from the idea of a set-up or situation from which there is no exit; connected to the impossibility of leaving one genus and entering another
• The Categories as Genera: Introduction to Aristotle’s ten categories (genera) with the principle that if something belongs to genus X (e.g., quantity/number), it cannot transition to another genus (e.g., substance, quality, relation)
• Legal Origins of Terminology: The Greek word categoria originates from the courtroom, where there are two primary elements: accusation (categoria) and defense (apologia)
• The Ten Highest Genera: Discussion of why the categories are sometimes referred to as the ’ten supreme accusations’ (following Warren Murray’s characterization), emphasizing that there is no genus above these
• The Distinction Between Statement and Proposition: Brief exploration of how propositio (proposition/premise) differs from a mere statement, with the implication that the etymology of ‘proposition’ more properly names the premise than a general statement

Key Arguments #

The Courtroom Origin of ‘Category’ #

• In a courtroom: one side makes an accusation (categoria), the other side makes a defense (apologia)
• When accusing someone of a crime, one must predicate something of them: “You are a murderer,” “You are a robber”
• To accuse is to say something of someone, to predicate a category or type of action
• This courtroom logic grounds the philosophical use of categoria in Aristotle

The Principle of Generic Boundaries #

• If seven belongs to the genus “number,” it cannot exit that genus and enter “substance,” “quality,” or “relation”
• When one finds oneself in a disagreeable situation with no way out, one is in a predicament—trapped within a genus with no escape
• This principle illustrates why the categories are ultimate divisions of being

Poetry and the Popularization of Philosophical Terms #

• Discussion of whether phrases from Shakespeare or other poets have popularized philosophical terminology
• Acknowledgment that the exact attribution of philosophical phrases to poets is often uncertain, though poets have played a role in popularizing abstract concepts

Important Definitions #

• Categoria (Greek): Literally, “accusation” from the courtroom; used philosophically to denote the highest genera of being, the categories
• Apologia (Greek): “Defense” in a courtroom; the legal defense as opposed to the accusation; also refers to Socrates’ defense (Plato’s Apology)
• Predicamentum (Latin): A “set-up” or situation; the Latin term for the Aristotelian categories, emphasizing the sense of a fixed condition from which there is no exit
• Praedicamentum: Alternative spelling/form of predicamentum
• Genus: A highest kind or category into which all being is divided; one cannot transition from one genus to another

Examples & Illustrations #

• The Number Seven: Used to illustrate the principle that if seven belongs to the genus “number,” it remains confined within that genus and cannot become a member of “substance” or other genera
• The Disagreeable Situation: When one finds oneself in a disagreeable predicament with no course of action, this metaphorical use of ‘predicament’ derives from the philosophical principle of being trapped within a genus
• Accusation and Crime: Examples of accusations—“You are a murderer,” “You are a robber”—illustrate how to accuse is to predicate something of a person
• Socrates’ Apology: Referenced as an example of apologia (legal defense), showing the distinction between categoria (accusation) and apologia (defense) in the Gospels and classical texts

Questions Addressed #

How did the word ‘category’ come to have philosophical meaning? #

• Answer: It derives from the Greek categoria, meaning “accusation” in a courtroom context. Just as an accusation predicates something of an accused person (“You are guilty of X”), so the philosophical categories predicate the highest kinds or genera of being. The connection between accusation and predication gave the term its philosophical significance.

What is a predicament, and how does this term relate to the categories? #

• Answer: A predicament (from Latin predicamentum, meaning “set-up” or situation) is a condition from which there is no exit. Philosophically, it reflects the principle that if something belongs to one category or genus, it cannot escape to another. The categories themselves are sometimes called the ten predicaments or supreme accusations.

Do Shakespeare and other poets bear responsibility for popularizing philosophical terms? #

• Answer: Possibly, though certainty is difficult. Poets have picked up philosophical concepts and popularized them in everyday speech, but it is often impossible to trace with precision which specific phrases originated from which authors. The influence is real but difficult to document comprehensively.

Pedagogical Notes #

• Berquist uses the principle of generic boundaries and the courtroom analogy to make the abstract notion of Aristotelian categories concrete and memorable
• The etymological approach shows how philosophical language is grounded in concrete human experience (legal accusation) rather than being purely abstract
• The discussion emphasizes that understanding the origins of terms can illuminate their philosophical meaning and significance
• The anecdote about Shakespeare and other poets suggests the interconnection between high philosophy and popular culture through language