Abstract
Aristotle’s Metaphysics defends a number of theses about oneness [to hen]. For interpreting the Metaphysics’ positive henology, two such theses are especially important: (1) to hen and being [to on] are equally general and so intimately connected that there can be no science of the former which isn’t also a science of the latter, and (2) to hen is the foundation [archē] of number qua number.
Aristotle decisively commits himself to both (1) and (2). The central goal of this article is to improve our understanding of what the Metaphysics’ endorsement of their conjunction amounts to. To this end we explore three manners of being one which enter into Aristotle’s Metaphysics: I call them unity, uniqueness, and unit-hood. On the view the article defends, it’s unity (and not uniqueness) that’s at issue in Aristotle’s endorsement of (1) and unit-hood (and not uniqueness) that’s at issue in his endorsement of (2). The Metaphysics’ positive henology as whole, I suggest, is best interpreted by positing a theory-internal distinction between unity, uniqueness, and unit-hood.