Why Is Logic an Instrument? The Instrumental Interpretation of Aristotle’s Logic

Abstract To this day, Aristotle’s logical works are often referred to as the Organon . It is well known that this means the ‘instrument,’ or the ‘tool.’ However, the exact arguments Aristotle’s commentators used to justify the instrumental status of logic are less known. This study provides a systematic examination of the arguments that defend the idea that logic is an instrument of philosophy rather than a part, as they are found in Alexander of Aphrodisias, Ammonius Hermiae, Philoponus, Elias, David and Olympiodorus. After analyzing these arguments, I argue that they make most sense when put into the broader context of the commentators’ conception of philosophy. Thus, I show that the debate about whether logic is an instrument or a part of philosophy is not primarily a debate about the role of logic; it is primarily a debate about what philosophy is.