Meanings of Dunamis in Aristotle’s Philosophy

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

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1 Ph. D Candidate of Philosophy, University of Tabriz

2 Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, University of Tabriz

Abstract

The term "dunamis" is a fundamental concept in ancient Greek thought that has held various meanings throughout its history. In the mythological era, it primarily referred to physical power, military strength, social influence, and political force. With the advent of philosophy, especially in Plato’s works, its meaning expanded to include numerical capacity, potential ability, possibility, and even economic power. Aristotle plays a central role in redefining and developing "dunamis," making it a key pillar of his philosophy. For Aristotle, its primary meaning in nature is the "source of movement and change," but its conceptual scope extends across philosophy: in ethics as "capacity," in metaphysics as a "mode of being," in politics as "power," and in logic as "possibility," among others. This study, through an analytical-comparative approach, aims to identify and clarify the various meanings of "dunamis" across different fields, preventing conceptual confusion and misinterpretation in Aristotelian philosophy. The main goal is not to propose a new meaning but to illuminate the diverse senses of "dunamis" so readers familiar with philosophical texts can better understand Aristotle’s works and their commentaries, avoiding interpretive errors.

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 04 August 2025

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