Physique

In common parlance, physis is a synonym for the human body (compare physiotherapy or “physical wellbeing”).

In theology , philosophy and natural science , “physis” (from ancient Greek φύσις phýsis ) is a technical term that usually ends with “ nature ” (from Latin natura , the semantic equivalent of the Greek φύσις phýsis ), “natural quality”, “natural quality” or ' Body quality' is translated.

origin

The oldest written testimony of this word is in the Odyssey of Homer , who uses it only once and refers to the growth behavior of a plant species. The original meaning is translated with the natural growth of plants, animals and natural development processes outside of external influence. Already with the philosophers before Socrates the usage developed towards the meaning "nature". Since Aristotle , the physical (the object of physics ) has often been juxtaposed with the metaphysical (the object of metaphysics ) and the man-made ( techne ). The verb φύω means germinate, like nature from the verb nasco .

Medicine and biology

In biology and medicine , the Graecism "Physis" is used in the sense of "growth", "grown" or "growth" - especially as a word stem ("-physis" or Germanized "-physe") such as z. B. in " Symphysis / -physis ", " Epiphysis / -physis ", " Pituitary gland ".

The medical term physis also exists in English , for the area on the bone between the metaphysis and epiphysis - in German, however , this is referred to as " epiphyseal plate".

literature

Dictionaries

Luc Deitz : Keyword Physis / Nomos, PhysisThesis , in: Historical Dictionary of Philosophy , Vol. 7, Column 967 ff.
Friedrich Kaulbach : Keyword nature , in: Historical Dictionary of Philosophy , Basel 1971–2007, Vol. 6, v. a. Column 430 ff.

Special literature

Martin Heidegger : On the essence and concept of Φὐσις. Aristoteles, Physik B, 1 (1939) , in: Wegmarken (= GA , Bd. 9), Frankfurt / Main 1076 (³2004).
Gundolf Keil : Physique. Aspects of the ancient concept of nature. Opening lecture in: Peter Dilg (Hrsg.): Nature in the Middle Ages. Concepts - experiences - effects. Files from the 9th Symposium of the Medievalist Association, Marburg, 14. – 17. March 2001. Berlin 2003, pp. 1-30.

Web links

Wiktionary: Physis - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Alfred Dunshirn: physique . In: Thomas Kirchhoff (Ed.): Online Encyclopedia Philosophy of Nature / Online-Lexikon Naturphilosophie . Heidelberg University Library, Heidelberg 2019.

Individual evidence

↑ ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας πόρε φάρμακον ἀργεϊφόντης ἐκ γαίης ἐρύσας, καί μοι φύσιν αὐτοῦ ἔδειξε. (So spoke Hermeias [in the original: Argeiphontes ], and gave me the healing plant which he tore from the ground, and showed me its nature : Its roots were black and the flower bloomed milk-white.) Odyssey 10.302-4. Translation by Johann Heinrich Voss, online at digibib and Wikisource .
↑ See WKC Guthrie : Presocratic Tradition from Parmenides to Democritus , History of Greek Philosophy Vol. 2, Cambridge UP, Cambridge 1965.

[1] ὣς ἄρα φωνήσας πόρε φάρμακον ἀργεϊφόντης ἐκ γαίης ἐρύσας, καί μοι φύσιν αὐτοῦ ἔδειξε. (So spoke Hermeias [in the original: Argeiphontes ], and gave me the healing plant which he tore from the ground, and showed me its nature : Its roots were black and the flower bloomed milk-white.) Odyssey 10.302-4. Translation by Johann Heinrich Voss, online at digibib and Wikisource .

[2] See WKC Guthrie : Presocratic Tradition from Parmenides to Democritus , History of Greek Philosophy Vol. 2, Cambridge UP, Cambridge 1965.