A Comparative Analysis of the Relationship between Tyche or Chance and Techne in Aristotle and Plutarch
Subject Areas : Comparative studies in the field of history of philosophy
1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran
Keywords: Tyche, fortune, Chance, techne, practical ability, Aristotle, Plutarch,
Abstract :
Aristotle holds a dual approach to the relationship between techne and tyche (chance). On the one hand, he uses the two terms in the same meaning with the same subject in his Nichomacean Ethics, and in Rhetoric introduces chance as the cause of attaining a limited number of good things through techne. On the other hand, he connects techne and experience with chance and lack of experience and introduces techne and chance as two opposing concepts. This is because he believes that experience creates techne, and lack of experience exposes Man to chance and accident. A study of Aristotle’s thoughts reveals the reality that techne cannot originate in chance because it demands the knowledge of cause, while chance or luck is an accidental, indeterminate, and unstable cause. Moreover, a study of the relation of techne to aletheia or unconcealedness and disclosure indicates that techne cannot emerge from chance. The reason is that, in Aristotle’s view, techne is a rational virtue that results in revealing the truth, which is itself the result of artists’ knowledge and awareness of the outcome of their craft. Similar to Aristotle, Plutarch accepts chance as a cause; however, he maintains that the existence of techne renders chance meaningless. He believes that techne is rooted in human wisdom and cannot arise from chance.
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