Page - 113 - in The Priority of Locomotion in Aristotle’s Physics

locomotion, by contrast, does not presuppose, condensation, rarefaction, alteration, or any other kind of change is clear from my discussion of the relation between change in quantity and locomotion, for there it was shown that it is a unique feature of locomotion that—in the strict sense—it does not involve or depend on any other change.113 In this sense the argument has shown that locomotion is ontologically prior to alteration. 4.4.7 Conclusion In this section I have shown that Aristotle in a sense is correct to claim that condensation and rarefaction are a source of all qualities and thus of all changes with respect to quality, as there is a corresponding change in den- sity for any alteration that occurs. This is because any alteration necessarily involves a change with respect to the two pairs of elemental qualities of hot- cold and dry-moist, which again goes hand in hand with a change in the relevant thing’s density. By making use of the way in which Aristotle applies the terms condensation, rarefaction, aggregation and segregation it then became clear that change in density, i.e. πύκνωσις and μάνωσις, is a kind of aggregation and segregation and therefore, like the former, necessarily involves change in place. Thus, locomotion is also prior to and more fundamental than alteration insofar as every change in quality is necessarily accompanied by locomo- tion, but not vice versa. For, that which alters due to condensation or rare- faction also changes in place at the same time, namely with respect to its basic material components, while locomotion does not necessarily involve any other change whatsoever. The examination has therefore made clear that this argument, too, may be read as presenting Aristotle’s own assumptions, as these not only are in accordance with Aristotle’s theory, but also play an important role in show- ing another way in which locomotion is the primary kind of change. 4.5 Conclusion Although Aristotle does not explicitly qualify the sense of priority the argu- ment was supposed to demonstrate with respect to locomotion, the second argument taken as a whole makes clear that locomotion is primary insofar as change in quantity, quality, and substance is necessarily accompanied by a change in place, since their respective subject changes in place in the sense 113 See section 4.2.3. Conclusion 113 ISBN Print: 9783525253069 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647253060 © 2014, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen