Aristotle's definition of motion

Abstract

It 4T otion, says Aristotle, the actualization of what potentially is, as such 'ro5 8uvu4a Ovroq E'vreXiXec, a 'rTOLi:irov.' If we are to believe Aristotle, this definition speaks to a problem which was perplexing and refractory to his predecessors, and it is itself complex and subtle, employing concepts which are, as he says, difficult to grasp.2 Given the intricacy of many of Aristotle's technical concepts, this claim might seem outrageous; for on the usual understanding, his definition of motion is straightforward and pellucid. I shall try to show that that understanding is wrong, and that Aristotle's definition is more subtle than it is usually taken to be.

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