Page - 386 - in The Complete Aristotle
Image of the Page - 386 -
Text of the Page - 386 -
breaker of his oath?’ ‘Can the same man at the same time both obey and
disobey the same man?’ Or isn’t it the case that being something in particular
and Being are not the same? On the other hand, Not-being, even if it be
something, need not also have absolute ‘being’ as well. Nor if a man keeps his
oath in this particular instance or in this particular respect, is he bound also to
be a keeper of oaths absolutely, but he who swears that he will break his oath,
and then breaks it, keeps this particular oath only; he is not a keeper of his
oath: nor is the disobedient man ‘obedient’, though he obeys one particular
command. The argument is similar, also, as regards the problem whether the
same man can at the same time say what is both false and true: but it appears
to be a troublesome question because it is not easy to see in which of the two
connexions the word ‘absolutely’ is to be rendered-with ‘true’ or with ‘false’.
There is, however, nothing to prevent it from being false absolutely, though
true in some particular respect or relation, i.e. being true in some things,
though not ‘true’ absolutely. Likewise also in cases of some particular relation
and place and time. For all arguments of the following kind depend upon
this.’ Is health, or wealth, a good thing?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘But to the fool who does not
use it aright it is not a good thing: therefore it is both good and not good.’ ‘Is
health, or political power, a good thing?’ ‘Yes. “But sometimes it is not
particularly good: therefore the same thing is both good and not good to the
same man.’ Or rather there is nothing to prevent a thing, though good
absolutely, being not good to a particular man, or being good to a particular
man, and yet not good or here. ‘Is that which the prudent man would not
wish, an evil?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘But to get rid of, he would not wish the good: therefore
the good is an evil.’ But that is a mistake; for it is not the same thing to say
‘The good is an evil’ and ‘to get rid of the good is an evil’. Likewise also the
argument of the thief is mistaken. For it is not the case that if the thief is an
evil thing, acquiring things is also evil: what he wishes, therefore, is not what
is evil but what is good; for to acquire something good is good. Also, disease
is an evil thing, but not to get rid of disease. ‘Is the just preferable to the
unjust, and what takes place justly to what takes place unjustly? ‘Yes.’ ‘But to
to be put to death unjustly is preferable.’ ‘Is it just that each should have his
own?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘But whatever decisions a man comes to on the strength of his
personal opinion, even if it be a false opinion, are valid in law: therefore the
same result is both just and unjust.’ Also, should one decide in favour of him
who says what is unjust?’ ‘The former.’ ‘But you see, it is just for the injured
party to say fully the things he has suffered; and these are fallacies. For
because to suffer a thing unjustly is preferable, unjust ways are not therefore
preferable, though in this particular case the unjust may very well be better
than the just. Also, to have one’s own is just, while to have what is another’s
is not just: all the same, the decision in question may very well be a just
decision, whatever it be that the opinion of the man who gave the decision
386
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