Page - 321 - in The Complete Aristotle
Image of the Page - 321 -
Text of the Page - 321 -
the body as well has its virtue and vice. But this much at least is true, that the
differentiae of contraries are either contrary or else the same. If, then, the
contrary differentia to that given be predicated of the contrary term and not of
the one in hand, clearly the differentia stated must be predicated of the latter.
Speaking generally, seeing that the definition consists of genus and
differentiae, if the definition of the contrary term be apparent, the definition of
the term before you will be apparent also: for since its contrary is found either
in the same genus or in the contrary genus, and likewise also the differentiae
predicated of opposites are either contrary to, or the same as, each other,
clearly of the term before you there will be predicated either the same genus
as of its contrary, while, of its differentiae, either all are contrary to those of
its contrary, or at least some of them are so while the rest remain the same; or,
vice versa, the differentiae will be the same and the genera contrary; or both
genera and differentiae will be contrary. And that is all; for that both should
be the same is not possible; else contraries will have the same definition.
Moreover, look at it from the point of view of its inflexions and
coordinates. For genera and definitions are bound to correspond in either case.
Thus if forgetfulness be the loss of knowledge, to forget is to lose knowledge,
and to have forgotten is to have lost knowledge. If, then, any one whatever of
these is agreed to, the others must of necessity be agreed to as well. Likewise,
also, if destruction is the decomposition of the thing’s essence, then to be
destroyed is to have its essence decomposed, and ‘destructively’ means ‘in
such a way as to decompose its essence’; if again ‘destructive’ means ‘apt to
decompose something’s essence’, then also ‘destruction’ means ‘the
decomposition of its essence’. Likewise also with the rest: an admission of
any one of them whatever, and all the rest are admitted too.
Moreover, look at it from the point of view of things that stand in relations
that are like each other. For if ‘healthy’ means ‘productive of health’,
‘vigorous’ too will mean ‘productive of vigour’, and ‘useful’ will mean
‘productive of good.’ For each of these things is related in like manner to its
own peculiar end, so that if one of them is defined as ‘productive of’ that end,
this will also be the definition of each of the rest as well.
Moreover, look at it from the point of and like degrees, in all the ways in
which it is possible to establish a result by comparing two and two together.
Thus if A defines a better than B defines and B is a definition of so too is A of
a. Further, if A’s claim to define a is like B’s to define B, and B defines B,
then A too defines a. This examination from the point of view of greater
degrees is of no use when a single definition is compared with two things, or
two definitions with one thing; for there cannot possibly be one definition of
two things or two of the same thing.
321
back to the
book The Complete Aristotle"
The Complete Aristotle
- Title
- The Complete Aristotle
- Author
- Aristotle
- Date
- ~322 B.C.
- Language
- English
- License
- PD
- Size
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Pages
- 2328
- Keywords
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Categories
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International
Table of contents
- 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