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that is are basic premisses; and of these not only that they are but also what
they are must be assumed or revealed in some other way. This too is the
actual procedure of the arithmetician, who assumes both the nature and the
existence of unit. On the other hand, it is possible (in the manner explained)
to exhibit through demonstration the essential nature of things which have a
âmiddleâ, i.e. a cause of their substantial being other than that being itself; but
we do not thereby demonstrate it.
10
Since definition is said to be the statement of a thingâs nature, obviously
one kind of definition will be a statement of the meaning of the name, or of an
equivalent nominal formula. A definition in this sense tells you, e.g. the
meaning of the phrase âtriangular characterâ. When we are aware that triangle
exists, we inquire the reason why it exists. But it is difficult thus to learn the
definition of things the existence of which we do not genuinely know-the
cause of this difficulty being, as we said before, that we only know
accidentally whether or not the thing exists. Moreover, a statement may be a
unity in either of two ways, by conjunction, like the Iliad, or because it
exhibits a single predicate as inhering not accidentally in a single subject.
That then is one way of defining definition. Another kind of definition is a
formula exhibiting the cause of a thingâs existence. Thus the former signifies
without proving, but the latter will clearly be a quasi-demonstration of
essential nature, differing from demonstration in the arrangement of its terms.
For there is a difference between stating why it thunders, and stating what is
the essential nature of thunder; since the first statement will be âBecause fire
is quenched in the cloudsâ, while the statement of what the nature of thunder
is will be âThe noise of fire being quenched in the cloudsâ. Thus the same
statement takes a different form: in one form it is continuous demonstration,
in the other definition. Again, thunder can be defined as noise in the clouds,
which is the conclusion of the demonstration embodying essential nature. On
the other hand the definition of immediates is an indemonstrable positing of
essential nature.
We conclude then that definition is (a) an indemonstrable statement of
essential nature, or (b) a syllogism of essential nature differing from
demonstration in grammatical form, or (c) the conclusion of a demonstration
giving essential nature.
Our discussion has therefore made plain (1) in what sense and of what
things the essential nature is demonstrable, and in what sense and of what
things it is not; (2) what are the various meanings of the term definition, and
203
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Buch The Complete Aristotle"
The Complete Aristotle
- Titel
- The Complete Aristotle
- Autor
- Aristotle
- Datum
- ~322 B.C.
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- PD
- Abmessungen
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Seiten
- 2328
- Schlagwörter
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Kategorien
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Part 1; Logic (Organon) 3
- Categories 4
- On Interpretation 34
- Prior Analytics, Book I 56
- Prior Analytics, Book II 113
- Posterior Analytics, Book I 149
- Posterior Analytics, Book II 193
- Topics, Book I 218
- Topics, Book II 221
- Topics, Book III 237
- Topics, Book IV 248
- Topics, Book V 266
- Topics, Book VI 291
- Topics, Book VII 317
- Topics, Book VIII 326
- On Sophistical Refutations 348
- Part 2; Universal Physics 396
- Physics, Book I 397
- Physics, Book II 415
- Physics, Book III 432
- Physics, Book IV 449
- Physics, Book V 481
- Physics, Book VI 496
- Physics, Book VII 519
- Physics, Book VIII 533
- On the Heavens, Book I 570
- On the Heavens, Book II 599
- On the Heavens, Book III 624
- On the Heavens, Book IV 640
- On Generation and Corruption, Book I 651
- On Generation and Corruption, Book II 685
- Meteorology, Book I 707
- Meteorology, Book II 733
- Meteorology, Book III 760
- Meteorology, Book IV 773
- Part 3; Human Physics 795
- On the Soul, Book I 796
- On the Soul, Book II 815
- On the Soul, Book III 840
- On Sense and the Sensible 861
- On Memory and Reminiscence 889
- On Sleep and Sleeplessness 899
- On Dreams 909
- On Prophesying by Dreams 918
- On Longevity and the Shortness of Life 923
- On Youth, Old Age, Life and Death, and Respiration 929
- Part 4; Animal Physics 952
- The History of Animals, Book I 953
- The History of Animals, Book II translated 977
- The History of Animals, Book III 1000
- The History of Animals, Book IV 1029
- The History of Animals, Book V 1056
- The History of Animals, Book VI 1094
- The History of Animals, Book VII 1135
- The History of Animals, Book VIII 1150
- The History of Animals, Book IX 1186
- On the Parts of Animals, Book I 1234
- On the Parts of Animals, Book II 1249
- On the Parts of Animals, Book III 1281
- On the Parts of Animals, Book IV 1311
- On the Motion of Animals 1351
- On the Gait of Animals 1363
- On the Generation of Animals, Book I 1381
- On the Generation of Animals, Book II 1412
- On the Generation of Animals, Book III 1444
- On the Generation of Animals, Book IV 1469
- On the Generation of Animals, Book V 1496
- Part 5; Metaphysics 1516
- Part 6; Ethics and Politics 1748
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book I 1749
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book II 1766
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book III 1779
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book IV 1799
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book V 1817
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book VI 1836
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book VII 1851
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book VIII 1872
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book IX 1890
- Nicomachean Ethics, Book X 1907
- Politics, Book I 1925
- Politics, Book II 1943
- Politics, Book III 1970
- Politics, Book IV 1997
- Politics, Book V 2023
- Politics, Book VI 2053
- Politics, Book VII 2065
- Politics, Book VIII 2091
- The Athenian Constitution 2102
- Part 7; Aesthetic Writings 2156