Reveling in Metaphor: Aristotle's A Priori Illuminations

Anyone who knows me knows that I can't stop talking, thinking, and using metaphors when I'm developing stories. Within them I find strong clues about what I want to say in each project, clues that go far beyond words. In this post I've attached an essay on Aristotle's A Priori Metaphor by Sean Driscoll.

Metaphors are the unsung heroes of language. As someone who's always been fascinated by the art of subtlety and nuance, the world of metaphors is my playground. When words dance around meanings, they create a rhythm that has a melodic resonance of comprehension. Aristotle was a maestro of this symphony of words, particularly when he spoke of a priori knowledge. This, I have found, offers an enthralling perspective on our understanding of existence.

Firstly, let's address the elephant in the room - what is a priori knowledge? In philosophy, a priori refers to knowledge that's independent of experience. It is innate, in contrast to a posteriori knowledge which is derived from experience. In his works, Aristotle often toyed with this concept, illustrating how we could understand truths about the world without necessarily experiencing them.

One could draw a metaphorical parallel between a priori knowledge and a seed. A seed holds within itself the potential to grow into a tree, despite not having experienced 'tree-ness'. The tree exists in the seed a priori. The seed doesn't need the experience of being a tree to hold that potential. Similarly, we humans possess certain knowledge that does not require experience to understand.

There's something profoundly beautiful about Aristotle's conceptualization of a priori knowledge, especially when we begin to grapple with it in terms of metaphors. The 'seed-tree' metaphor is one of my favorites. It lets me see the inherent power of potentiality and actuality, key concepts in Aristotle's metaphysics.

Take the simple equation: 1 + 1 = 2. You don't need to experience this statement to know it's true. Its truth is contained within it, waiting to be understood, just like the tree in the seed. It's a priori knowledge, a piece of information we carry within us, irrespective of our experiences.

Why does this matter? Why should we care about a priori knowledge and Aristotle's musings on it? The reason is simple: It helps us understand the world and ourselves better. It guides us in realizing that we aren't merely products of our experiences, but beings with innate understanding and wisdom.

As we navigate the world, let's not forget the seeds within us that hold immense potential for growth, just waiting to be actualized. Embracing Aristotle's a priori metaphor opens doors to deeper introspection, a journey that starts from within but extends far beyond our individual selves.

The dance of metaphors enriches my understanding of the world, just as it did for Aristotle. Each metaphor holds a universe of thought, a nut that wants to be cracked open (requires mental, even spiritual effort), waiting to be explored. It's a journey that never ceases to amaze and enlighten me. It offers fresh perspectives, enables creativity, and deepens my comprehension. Whether it's contemplating the priori tree within the seed or the inherent truth in 1 + 1 = 2, metaphors, for me, are the magic keys to the vast kingdom of knowledge that employ mathematics but are not dominated by them.

When I write a story, I need to belive in dreams, I need to bubble away from rationality of every day - of cleaning, responding to messages, and so on - and metaphors help me jump over that fence in healthy short time periods so I can enjoy rationality even more.