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growth: for it is bound to become actually both so-much and flesh. But in so
far as it is potentially flesh only, it nourishes: for it is thus that ânutritionâ and
âgrowthâ differ by their definition. That is why a bodyâsâ nutritionâ continues
so long as it is kept alive (even when it is diminishing), though not its
âgrowthâ; and why nutrition, though âthe sameâ as growth, is yet different
from it in its actual being. For in so far as that which accedes is potentially âso
much-fleshâ it tends to increase flesh: whereas, in so far as it is potentially
âfleshâ only, it is nourishment.
The form of which we have spoken is a kind of power immersed in matter-
a duct, as it were. If, then, a matter accedes-a matter, which is potentially a
duct and also potentially possesses determinate quantity the ducts to which it
accedes will become bigger. But if it is no longer able to act-if it has been
weakened by the continued influx of matter, just as water, continually mixed
in greater and greater quantity with wine, in the end makes the wine watery
and converts it into water-then it will cause a diminution of the quantum;
though still the form persists.
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6
(In discussing the causes of coming-tobe) we must first investigate the
matter, i.e. the so-called âelementsâ. We must ask whether they really are
clements or not, i.e. whether each of them is eternal or whether there is a
sense in which they come-to-be: and, if they do come-to-be, whether all of
them come-to-be in the same manner reciprocally out of one another, or
whether one amongst them is something primary. Hence we must begin by
explaining certain preliminary matters, about which the statements now
current are vague.
For all (the pluralist philosophers)âthose who generate the âelementsâ as
well as those who generate the bodies that are compounded of the elementsâ
make use of âdissociationâ and âassociationâ, and of âactionâ and âpassionâ.
Now âassociationâ is âcombinationâ; but the precise meaning of the process we
call âcombiningâ has not been explained. Again, (all the monists make use of
âalterationâ: but) without an agent and a patient there cannot be âalteringâ any
more than there can be âdissociatingâ and âassociatingâ. For not only those
who postulate a plurality of elements employ their reciprocal action and
passion to generate the compounds: those who derive things from a single
element are equally compelled to introduce âactingâ. And in this respect
Diogenes is right when he argues that âunless all things were derived from
670
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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