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is continuous with or embraces the spherical must itself be spherical, then on
these grounds also it is clear that the heavens are spherical. But the surface of
water is seen to be spherical if we take as our starting-point the fact that water
naturally tends to collect in a hollow place-’hollow’ meaning ‘nearer the
centre’. Draw from the centre the lines AB, AC, and let their extremities be
joined by the straight line BC. The line AD, drawn to the base of the triangle,
will be shorter than either of the radii. Therefore the place in which it
terminates will be a hollow place. The water then will collect there until
equality is established, that is until the line AE is equal to the two radii. Thus
water forces its way to the ends of the radii, and there only will it rest: but the
line which connects the extremities of the radii is circular: therefore the
surface of the water BEC is spherical.
It is plain from the foregoing that the universe is spherical. It is plain,
further, that it is turned (so to speak) with a finish which no manufactured
thing nor anything else within the range of our observation can even
approach. For the matter of which these are composed does not admit of
anything like the same regularity and finish as the substance of the enveloping
body; since with each step away from earth the matter manifestly becomes
finer in the same proportion as water is finer than earth.
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5
Now there are two ways of moving along a circle, from A to B or from A to
C, and we have already explained that these movements are not contrary to
one another. But nothing which concerns the eternal can be a matter of chance
or spontaneity, and the heaven and its circular motion are eternal. We must
therefore ask why this motion takes one direction and not the other. Either this
is itself an ultimate fact or there is an ultimate fact behind it. It may seem
evidence of excessive folly or excessive zeal to try to provide an explanation
of some things, or of everything, admitting no exception. The criticism,
however, is not always just: one should first consider what reason there is for
speaking, and also what kind of certainty is looked for, whether human
merely or of a more cogent kind. When any one shall succeed in finding
proofs of greater precision, gratitude will be due to him for the discovery, but
at present we must be content with a probable solution. If nature always
follows the best course possible, and, just as upward movement is the superior
form of rectilinear movement, since the upper region is more divine than the
lower, so forward movement is superior to backward, then front and back
605
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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