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dimensions to suit the small size of the head. In this beak are placed the
olfactory passages. But there are no nostrils; for such could not possibly be
placed there.
As for those animals that have no respiration, it has already been explained
why it is that they are without nostrils, and perceive odours either through
gills, or through a blowhole, or, if they are insects, by the hypozoma; and how
the power of smelling depends, like their motion, upon the innate spirit of
their bodies, which in all of them is implanted by nature and not introduced
from without.
Under the nostrils are the lips, in such sanguineous animals, that is, as have
teeth. For in birds, as already has been said, the purposes of nutrition and
defence are fulfilled by a bonelike beak, which forms a compound substitute
for teeth and lips. For supposing that one were to cut off a man’s lips, unite
his upper teeth together, and similarly his under ones, and then were to
lengthen out the two separate pieces thus formed, narrowing them on either
side and making them project forwards, supposing, I say, this to be done, we
should at once have a bird-like beak.
The use of the lips in all animals except man is to preserve and guard the
teeth; and thus it is that the distinctness with which the lips are formed is in
direct proportion to the degree of nicety and perfection with which the teeth
are fashioned. In man the lips are soft and flesh-like and capable of separating
from each other. Their purpose, as in other animals, is to guard the teeth, but
they are more especially intended to serve a higher office, contributing in
common with other parts to man’s faculty of speech. For just as nature has
made man’s tongue unlike that of other animals, and, in accordance with what
I have said is her not uncommon practice, has used it for two distinct
operations, namely for the perception of savours and for speech, so also has
she acted with regard to the lips, and made them serve both for speech and for
the protection of the teeth. For vocal speech consists of combinations of the
letters, and most of these would be impossible to pronounce, were the lips not
moist, nor the tongue such as it is. For some letters are formed by closures of
the lips and others by applications of the tongue. But what are the differences
presented by these and what the nature and extent of such differences, are
questions to which answers must be sought from those who are versed in
metrical science. It was necessary that the two parts which we are discussing
should, in conformity with the requirements, be severally adapted to fulfil the
office mentioned above, and be of appropriate character. Therefore are they
made of flesh, and flesh is softer in man than in any other animal, the reason
for this being that of all animals man has the most delicate sense of touch.
1277
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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