Seite - 296 - in The Complete Aristotle
Bild der Seite - 296 -
Text der Seite - 296 -
The statement that a definition has not been made through more intelligible
terms may be understood in two senses, either supposing that its terms are
absolutely less intelligible, or supposing that they are less intelligible to us:
for either sense is possible. Thus absolutely the prior is more intelligible than
the posterior, a point, for instance, than a line, a line than a plane, and a plane
than a solid; just as also a unit is more intelligible than a number; for it is the
prius and starting-point of all number. Likewise, also, a letter is more
intelligible than a syllable. Whereas to us it sometimes happens that the
converse is the case: for the solid falls under perception most of all-more than
a plane-and a plane more than a line, and a line more than a point; for most
people learn things like the former earlier than the latter; for any ordinary
intelligence can grasp them, whereas the others require an exact and
exceptional understanding.
Absolutely, then, it is better to try to make what is posterior known through
what is prior, inasmuch as such a way of procedure is more scientific. Of
course, in dealing with persons who cannot recognize things through terms of
that kind, it may perhaps be necessary to frame the expression through terms
that are intelligible to them. Among definitions of this kind are those of a
point, a line, and a plane, all of which explain the prior by the posterior; for
they say that a point is the limit of a line, a line of a plane, a plane of a solid.
One must, however, not fail to observe that those who define in this way
cannot show the essential nature of the term they define, unless it so happens
that the same thing is more intelligible both to us and also absolutely, since a
correct definition must define a thing through its genus and its differentiae,
and these belong to the order of things which are absolutely more intelligible
than, and prior to, the species. For annul the genus and differentia, and the
species too is annulled, so that these are prior to the species. They are also
more intelligible; for if the species be known, the genus and differentia must
of necessity be known as well (for any one who knows what a man is knows
also what ‘animal’ and ‘walking’ are), whereas if the genus or the differentia
be known it does not follow of necessity that the species is known as well:
thus the species is less intelligible. Moreover, those who say that such
definitions, viz. those which proceed from what is intelligible to this, that, or
the other man, are really and truly definitions, will have to say that there are
several definitions of one and the same thing. For, as it happens, different
things are more intelligible to different people, not the same things to all; and
so a different definition would have to be rendered to each several person, if
the definition is to be constructed from what is more intelligible to particular
individuals. Moreover, to the same people different things are more
intelligible at different times; first of all the objects of sense; then, as they
become more sharpwitted, the converse; so that those who hold that a
296
zurück zum
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