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removes the hindrance or off which the moving thing rebounded, as was
explained in our opening discussions, where we tried to show how none of
these things moves itself. The reason of the various motions of the various
bodies, and the meaning of the motion of a body to its own place, have now
been explained.
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4
We have now to speak of the distinctive properties of these bodies and of
the various phenomena connected with them. In accordance with general
conviction we may distinguish the absolutely heavy, as that which sinks to the
bottom of all things, from the absolutely light, which is that which rises to the
surface of all things. I use the term ‘absolutely’, in view of the generic
character of ‘light’ and ‘heavy’, in order to confine the application to bodies
which do not combine lightness and heaviness. It is apparent, I mean, that
fire, in whatever quantity, so long as there is no external obstacle moves
upward, and earth downward; and, if the quantity is increased, the movement
is the same, though swifter. But the heaviness and lightness of bodies which
combine these qualities is different from this, since while they rise to the
surface of some bodies they sink to the bottom of others. Such are air and
water. Neither of them is absolutely either light or heavy. Both are lighter than
earth-for any portion of either rises to the surface of it-but heavier than fire,
since a portion of either, whatever its quantity, sinks to the bottom of fire;
compared together, however, the one has absolute weight, the other absolute
lightness, since air in any quantity rises to the surface of water, while water in
any quantity sinks to the bottom of air. Now other bodies are severally light
and heavy, and evidently in them the attributes are due to the difference of
their uncompounded parts: that is to say, according as the one or the other
happens to preponderate the bodies will be heavy and light respectively.
Therefore we need only speak of these parts, since they are primary and all
else consequential: and in so doing we shall be following the advice which we
gave to those whose attribute heaviness to the presence of plenum and
lightness to that of void. It is due to the properties of the elementary bodies
that a body which is regarded as light in one place is regarded as heavy in
another, and vice versa. In air, for instance, a talent’s weight of wood is
heavier than a mina of lead, but in water the wood is the lighter. The reason is
that all the elements except fire have weight and all but earth lightness. Earth,
then, and bodies in which earth preponderates, must needs have weight
everywhere, while water is heavy anywhere but in earth, and air is heavy
646
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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