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inherence in D, C of A’s inherence in E. The presence of the cause thus
necessitates that of the effect, but the presence of the effect necessitates the
presence not of all that may cause it but only of a cause which yet need not be
the whole cause. We may, however, suggest that if the connexion to be proved
is always universal and commensurate, not only will the cause be a whole but
also the effect will be universal and commensurate. For instance, deciduous
character will belong exclusively to a subject which is a whole, and, if this
whole has species, universally and commensurately to those species-i.e. either
to all species of plant or to a single species. So in these universal and
commensurate connexions the ‘middle’ and its effect must reciprocate, i.e. be
convertible. Supposing, for example, that the reason why trees are deciduous
is the coagulation of sap, then if a tree is deciduous, coagulation must be
present, and if coagulation is present-not in any subject but in a tree-then that
tree must be deciduous.
17
Can the cause of an identical effect be not identical in every instance of the
effect but different? Or is that impossible? Perhaps it is impossible if the
effect is demonstrated as essential and not as inhering in virtue of a symptom
or an accident-because the middle is then the definition of the major term-
though possible if the demonstration is not essential. Now it is possible to
consider the effect and its subject as an accidental conjunction, though such
conjunctions would not be regarded as connexions demanding scientific
proof. But if they are accepted as such, the middle will correspond to the
extremes, and be equivocal if they are equivocal, generically one if they are
generically one. Take the question why proportionals alternate. The cause
when they are lines, and when they are numbers, is both different and
identical; different in so far as lines are lines and not numbers, identical as
involving a given determinate increment. In all proportionals this is so. Again,
the cause of likeness between colour and colour is other than that between
figure and figure; for likeness here is equivocal, meaning perhaps in the latter
case equality of the ratios of the sides and equality of the angles, in the case of
colours identity of the act of perceiving them, or something else of the sort.
Again, connexions requiring proof which are identical by analogy middles
also analogous.
The truth is that cause, effect, and subject are reciprocally predicable in the
following way. If the species are taken severally, the effect is wider than the
subject (e.g. the possession of external angles equal to four right angles is an
attribute wider than triangle or are), but it is coextensive with the species
taken collectively (in this instance with all figures whose external angles are
214
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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