亚当·博登斯坦对亚里士多德主义本原学说的批判

Adam von Bodenstein’s Critique of the Aristotelian Theory of Principles

亚当·博登斯坦是16世纪早期帕拉塞尔苏斯主义者中最为杰出的人物之一。博登斯坦继承了帕拉塞尔苏斯基于炼金术研究与实践而对古代哲学与医学作出的批评,在他编辑出版的帕拉塞尔苏斯著作《论长生》(1562)的长篇献词中,他对亚里士多德主义本原学说进行了详尽的批判。博登斯坦辩护了一种与现代经验主义与实证主义相近的立场,他认为亚里士多德的本原(质料、形式及缺乏)既无法通过感官察觉,也无法借助炼金术实验证明;此外,亚里士多德的理论也无法与基督教信仰一致。与之相对,帕拉塞尔苏斯的三本原学说能够满足所有这些要求,因此它必定比亚里士多德虚构的本原更加优越。

Adam von Bodenstein was one of the most preeminent early Paracelsians in the 16th century.Bodenstein inherited Paracelsus’critique of ancient philosophy and medicine on the basis of alchemical research and practice,and edited a lengthy dedication of the Paracelsian treatise De vita longa(1562),in which he presented a detailed critique of the Aristotelian theory of principles.Bodenstein defended a perspective similar to modern empiricism and positivism,and argued the Aristotelian principles(matter,form,and privation)for the reason that they can neither be perceived by sense nor be proved by alchemical experiments.Besides,Aristotle’s theory also does not conform to the Christianity faith.On the contrary,the Paracelsian tria prima can satisfy all these requirements,so it must be deemed as superior to the fictitious principles of Aristotle.