Authors/Thomas Aquinas/metaphysics/liber5/lect12

Lecture 12

Latin	English
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 1 Hic ostendit quot modis dicitur diversum; et dicit, quod diversa dicuntur aliqua tripliciter. Dicuntur enim aliqua diversa specie, quorum species sunt plures, sicut asinus et bos. Quaedam vero dicuntur diversa numero, quia differunt secundum materiam, sicut duo individua unius speciei. Quaedam vero dicuntur diversa secundum rationem substantiae, idest definitionem declarantem substantiam rei. Contingit enim quaedam esse idem numero, scilicet subiecti, sed diversa ratione, sicut Socrates et hoc album.	913. Here he explains the various ways in which the term diverse (or other) is used, and he gives three senses. (1) Thus some things are said to be diverse in species because their species are many, as an ass and an ox; (2) others are said to be diverse in number because their matters differ, as two individuals of one species; (3) and others are said to be diverse because “the intelligible structure of the essence,” i.e., the definition designating their substance, is different. For some things may be the same in number, i.e., from the viewpoint of matter, but diverse in their intelligible structure, as Socrates and this white man.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 2 Et quia plures modi diversitatis accipi possunt, sicut quod dicatur diversum genere et diversum propter continui divisionem, ideo subiungit, quod diversum dicitur oppositum totaliter ad idem. Cuilibet enim modo eius, quod est idem, opponitur aliquis modus eius quod est diversum. Et propter hoc, quot modis dicitur idem, tot modis diversum.	914. And since many modes of diversity can be considered (for example, diversity in genus, and the diversity resulting from the division of the continuous), he therefore adds that the term diverse means the very opposite of the same; for to every way in which things are the same there corresponds an opposite way in which they are diverse. Hence things are said to be diverse in the same number of senses in which they are said to be the same.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 3 Et tamen alii modi unius, vel eius quod est idem, possunt reduci ad istos hic tactos. Diversitas enim generis includitur in diversitate speciei. Diversitas vero continuitatis in diversitate materiae, eo quod partes quantitatis se habent per modum materiae ad totum.	915. Yet the other ways in which things are said to be one, i.e., the same, can be reduced to those stated here. For diversity of genus is included in diversity of species, and diversity of quantity is included in diversity of matter, because the parts of a quantity have the character of matter in relation to the whole.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 4 Deinde cum dicit differentia vero hic distinguit quot modis dicitur hoc nomen differens. Assignat autem duos modos: quorum primus est, quod aliquid proprie dicitur differens secundum quod aliqua duo quae sunt aliquid idem entia, idest in aliquo uno convenientia, sunt diversa: sive conveniant in aliquo uno secundum numerum, sicut Socrates sedens a Socrate non sedente: sive conveniant in aliquo uno specie, sicut Socrates et Plato in homine: sive in aliquo uno genere, sicut homo et asinus in animali: sive in aliquo uno secundum proportionem, sicut quantitas et qualitas in ente. Ex quo patet, quod differens omne est diversum, sed non convertitur. Nam illa diversa, quae in nullo conveniunt, non possunt proprie dici differentia, quia non differunt aliquo alio, sed seipsis. Differens autem dicitur, quod aliquo alio differt. Secundus modus est prout differens communiter sumitur pro diverso; et sic differentia dicuntur etiam illa, quae habent diversum genus, et in nullo communicant.	916. Things are said to be “different” (448). Then he gives the various senses in which the term different is used, and there are two of them. First, any two things are said properly to be different which, while being diverse, are “the same in some respect,” i.e., they have some one thing in common. And this is so (1) whether they have some one thing in common numerically, as Socrates sitting and Socrates not sitting; or (2) whether they have some one thing in common specifically, as Socrates and Plato have man in common; or (3) whether they have a common genus, as man and ass share in the genus animal; or (4) whether they share in some one thing proportionally, as quantity and quality both share in being. And from this it is evident that everything different is diverse, but not the reverse. For diverse things which agree in no respect cannot properly be called different, because they do not differ in some other respect but only in themselves; but that is said to be different which differs in some particular respect. The term different is used in a second way when it is taken commonly in place of the term diverse; and then those things are also said to be different which belong to diverse genera and have nothing in common.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 5 Deinde docet quibus conveniat esse differens secundum primum modum qui est proprius. Cum enim oporteat ea, quae proprie dicuntur differentia, in uno aliquo convenire; ea vero, quae conveniunt in specie, non distinguuntur nisi per accidentales differentias, ut Socrates albus vel iustus, Plato niger vel musicus; quae vero conveniunt in genere et sunt diversa secundum speciem, differunt differentiis substantialibus: illa propriissime dicuntur differentia, quae sunt eadem genere et diversa secundum speciem. Omne autem genus dividitur in contrarias differentias; non autem omne genus dividitur in contrarias species. Coloris enim species sunt contrariae, scilicet album, nigrum: et differentiae etiam, scilicet congregativum et disgregativum. Animalis autem differentiae quidem sunt contrariae, scilicet rationale et irrationale sed species animalis, ut homo et equus etc. non sunt contrariae. Illa igitur, quae propriissime dicuntur differentia, sunt quae vel sunt species contrariae, sicut album et nigrum: vel sunt species unius generis non contrariae, sed habentia contrarietatem in substantia ratione contrarii differentiarum quae sunt de substantia specierum.	917. Next he indicates the kind of things which admit of difference in the first way, which is the proper one. Now those things which are said properly to differ must agree in some respect. Those which agree in species differ only by accidental differences; for example, Socrates insofar as he is white or just differs from Plato insofar as he is black or musical. And those things which agree in genus and are diverse in species differ by substantial differences. And since this is so, then those things are said to differ most properly which are the same in genus and diverse in species. For (+) every genus is divided into contrary differences, but (-) not every genus is divided into contrary species. Thus the species of color, white and black, are contraries, and so are their differences, expanding and contracting. And the differences of animal, rational and irrational, are contraries; but the species of animal, such as man, horse, and the like, are not. Therefore things which are said to differ most properly are either those which are contrary species, as white and black, or those species of one genus which are not contrary but have contrariety in their essence because of the contrariety of differences which belong to the essence of the species.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 6 Deinde cum dicit similia dicuntur ostendit quot modis dicitur simile. Circa hoc autem duo facit. Nam primo assignat quot modis dicitur simile. Secundo quot modis dicitur dissimile, ibi, opposita vero. Circa primum duo facit. Primo ostendit quot modis dicitur simile. Secundo quomodo dicatur aliquid maxime simile, ibi, et secundum quae alterari. Ponit autem tres modos similitudinis. Constat enim quod unum in qualitate facit simile. Passio autem est affinis qualitati, eo quod praecipue passio in mutatione qualitatis, quae est alteratio, attenditur. Unde et quaedam species qualitatis est passio et passibilis qualitas. Et propter hoc similitudo non solum attenditur secundum convenientiam in qualitate, sed secundum convenientiam in passione. Quod quidem potest esse dupliciter. Aut ex parte passionis, aut ex parte eius ad quod passio terminatur.	918. Things are said to be “like” (449). Here he points out the various ways in which the term like is used, and in regard to this he does two things. First, he indicates the various ways in which this term is used; and second (922), he gives those senses in which the term unlike is used (“By opposites”). In regard to the first he does two things. First, he gives the ways in which the term like is used; and second (920), he explains how one thing is said to be most like another (“And whatever”). He gives three ways in which things are like. Now it is evident that oneness in quality causes likeness. Further, undergoing or affection (passio) is associated with quality, because undergoing is most noticeable in the case of qualitative change or alteration; and thus one species of quality is called affection or possible quality. Hence things are observed to be like not only insofar as they have a common quality but also insofar as they undergo or suffer something in common. And this can be taken from two points of view: either from that of the affection or undergoing, or from that of the subject in which the affection is terminated.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 7 Sic igitur tripliciter aliqua sunt similia. Uno modo, quia patiuntur idem, sicut duo ligna, quae comburuntur, possunt dici similia. Alio modo ex hoc solo, quod patiuntur aliqua plura, similia dicuntur, sive patiuntur idem, sive diversa: sicut duo homines, quorum unus fustigatur, et alter incarceratur, dicuntur similes in patiendo. Tertio modo dicuntur similia quorum una est qualitas; sicut duo albi, et duo sidera in caelo habentia similem splendorem aut virtutem.	919. Some things are like, then, for three reasons. (1) First, they undergo or suffer the same thing; for example, two pieces of wood which are consumed by fire can be said to be like. (2) Second, several things are like merely because they are affected or undergo something, whether this be the same or different; for example, two men, one of whom is beaten and the other imprisoned, are said to be like in that they both undergo something or suffer. (3) Third, those things are said to be like which have one quality; for example, two white things are alike in whiteness, and two stars in the heaven are alike in brightness or in power.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 8 Deinde cum dicit et secundum ostendit unde aliquid maxime dicatur simile. Quando enim sunt plures contrarietates, secundum quas attenditur alteratio, illud, quod secundum plures illarum contrarietatum est alicui simile, dicitur magis proprie simile. Sicut allium, quod est calidum et siccum, dicitur magis proprie simile igni, quam saccharum, quod est calidum et humidum. Et idem est inter duo quorum utrumque est simile alicui tertio secundum unam qualitatem tantum: illud quod est simile secundum qualitatem magis sibi propriam, magis proprie dicitur simile ei: sicut aer magis proprie similis est igni, quam terra. Aer enim assimilatur igni in calore, quae est qualitas sibi propria, magis quam siccitas in qua assimilatur sibi terra.	920. And whatever (450). [more or less] Then he shows how one thing is said to be most like some other thing. For when there are several contraries of the sort which are observed to be alterable, whatever resembles some other thing in having the more important of these contraries is said to be more properly like that thing. For example, garlic, which is hot and dry, is said to be more properly like fire than sugar, which is hot and moist. The same holds true of any two things which are like some third thing in terms of only one quality; for whatever resembles some other thing in terms of some quality which is more proper to itself, is said to be more properly like that thing. For example, air is more properly like fire than earth; for air is like fire in reference to warmth, which is a quality proper to fire itself to a greater degree than dryness, in reference to which earth is like air.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 9 Consequenter dicit, quod dissimilia dicuntur per oppositum ad similia.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 10 Deinde cum dicit opposita dicuntur hic distinguit secundarias partes pluralitatis, quae scilicet continentur sub differenti et diverso, quae sunt partes primae: et circa hoc tria facit. Primo ostendit quot modis dicuntur opposita. Secundo quot modis dicuntur contraria, ibi, contraria dicuntur. Tertio quot modis dicuntur diversa specie, ibi, diversa vero specie. Circa primum duo facit. Primo enim dicit quot modis dicuntur opposita; quia quatuor modis; scilicet contradictoria, contraria, privatio et habitus, et ad aliquid. Aliquid enim contraponitur alteri vel opponitur aut ratione dependentiae, qua dependet ab ipso, et sic sunt opposita relative. Aut ratione remotionis, quia scilicet unum removet alterum. Quod quidem contingit tripliciter. Aut enim totaliter removet nihil relinquens, et sic est negatio. Aut relinquit subiectum solum, et sic est privatio. Aut relinquit subiectum et genus, et sic est contrarium. Nam contraria non sunt solum in eodem subiecto, sed etiam in eodem genere.	922. By “opposites” (451). Here he distinguishes between the secondary parts of plurality, i.e., those contained under difference and diversity, which are its primary parts; and in regard to this he does three things. First, he gives the various ways in which the term opposite is used; second (925), those in which the term contrary is used (“By contraries”); and third (931), those in which things are said to be diverse or other in species (“Those things are said to be”). In regard to the first he does two things. First (451), he gives the various ways in which we speak of opposites; and there are four of these: contradictories, contraries, privation and possession, and relatives. (1) For one thing is contraposed or opposed to another either by reason of dependence, i.e., insofar as one depends on another, and then they are opposed as relatives, or (2) by reason of removal, i.e., because one removes another. This occurs in three ways: (a) either one thing removes another entirely and leaves nothing, and then there is negation; or (b) the subject alone remains, and then there is privation; or the subject and genus remain, and then there is contrariety. For there are contraries not only in the same subject but also in the same genus.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 11 Secundo ibi et ex quibus ponit duos modos, secundum quos potest cognosci, quod aliqua sunt opposita: quorum primus est per comparationem ad motum. Nam in quolibet motu vel mutatione, terminus a quo, opponitur termino ad quem. Et ideo ex quibus est motus, et in quae est motus, sunt opposita, ut patet in generationibus. Nam generatio albi est ex non albo, et ignis ex non igne.	923. And opposites (452). Second, he gives two ways in which things can be recognized as opposites, (1) The first of these pertains to motion, for in any motion or change the terminus from which is the opposite of the terminus to which. Hence those things from which motion begins and those in which it ends are opposites. This is evident in processes of generation; for the white is generated from the not-white, and fire is generated from what is not-fire.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 12 Secundo modo per comparationem ad subiectum. Nam illa, quae non possunt inesse simul eidem susceptibili, oportet quod adinvicem opponantur, vel ipsa, vel ea in quibus sunt. Non enim potest idem corpus simul esse album et nigrum, quae sunt contraria. Homo vero et asinus non possunt de eodem dici, quia habent in suis rationibus differentias oppositas, scilicet rationale et irrationale. Et similiter pallidum et album; quia pallidum componitur ex nigro, quod est oppositum albo. Et notandum, quod signanter dicit, eidem susceptibili: quia quaedam non possunt alicui eidem subiecto simul inesse, non propter oppositionem quam habeant adinvicem, sed quia subiectum non est susceptibile utriusque; sicut albedo et musica non possunt simul inesse asino, possunt autem simul inesse homini.	924. (2) The second pertains to the subject. For those attributes which cannot belong at the same time to the same subject must be the opposite of each other, either they themselves or the things in which they are present. For the same body cannot be at the same time both white and black, which are contraries; nor can the terms man and ass be predicated of the same thing, because their intelligible structures contain opposite differences, i.e., rational and irrational. The same holds true of gray and white, because gray is composed of black, which is the opposite of white. And we should note that he expressly says, “in the same subject”; for certain things cannot exist at the the same time in the same subject, not because they are opposed to each other, but because the subject is not receptive of the one or the other; for example, whiteness and music cannot exist at the same time in an ass, but they can exist at the same time in a man.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 13 Deinde cum dicit contraria dicuntur hic ostendit quot modis contraria dicuntur: et circa hoc tria facit. Quorum primum est, quod assignat modos, quibus aliqua principaliter dicuntur contraria: inter quos ponit unum primum improprium: scilicet quod aliqua dicuntur contraria, quae non possunt simul adesse eidem, licet differant secundum genus: proprie enim contraria sunt quae sunt unius generis: sicut si diceretur, quod gravitas et motus circularis non sunt in eodem subiecto.	925. By “contraries” (453). Then he states the various ways in which the term contrary is used, and in regard to this he does three things. First, he gives the principal ways in which things are said to be contrary. Among these he includes, first, one improper usage of the term, i.e., that whereby some attributes are called contraries which, while differing in genus, cannot belong at the same time to the same subject; for properly speaking contraries are attributes which belong to one genus. An example of this would be found if we were to say that heaviness and circular motion cannot belong to the same subject.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 14 Alium modum ponit proprium secundum quod contraria dicuntur in aliquo convenientia. Conveniunt enim contraria in tribus: scilicet in eodem genere, et in eodem subiecto, et in eadem potestate. Et ideo notificat secundum ista tria, illa quae sunt vere contraria; dicens, quod illa, quae plurimum differunt eorum quae sunt in eodem genere, dicuntur contraria, sicut album et nigrum in genere coloris. Et iterum illa, quae plurimum differunt in eodem susceptibili existentia, sicut sanum et aegrum in animali. Et iterum, quae plurimum differunt in eadem potestate contenta, sicut congruum et incongruum in grammatica. Potestates enim rationabiles ad opposita sunt. Dicit autem plurimum ad differentiam mediorum inter contraria, quae etiam conveniunt in eodem genere, subiecto et potestate, non tamen sunt plurimum differentia.	926. Then he gives a second usage of the term, which is a proper one, according to which contraries are said to be things that agree in some respect; for contraries agree in three respects, namely, in reference to the same genus, or to the same subject, or to the same power. Then he uses these three to expose the things which are real contraries. He says (1) that those attributes which differ most in the same genus are called contraries, as white and black in the genus of color; (2) and those which differ most in the same subject, as health and disease in an animal; (3) and those which differ most in reference to the same power, as what is correct and what is incorrect in reference to grammar; for rational powers extend to opposites. He says “most” in order to differentiate contraries from the intermediate attributes which lie between them, which also agree in the same genus, subject and power, yet do not differ to the greatest degree.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 15 Unde subiungit universalem rationem, secundum quam aliqua dicuntur contraria; quia scilicet eorum differentia est maxima, vel simpliciter, vel in eodem genere, vel in eadem specie. Simpliciter quidem, sicut in motu locali extrema sunt maxime distantia, sicut punctus orientis et occidentis, quae sunt extrema diametri totius orbis. In eodem genere, sicut specificae differentiae, quae dividunt genus. In eadem specie, sicut accidentales differentiae contrariae per quae differunt individua eiusdem speciei.	927. [e.g.] Hence he adds the universal notion involved in things which are designated as contraries, namely, that contraries are things which differ most either absolutely or in the same genus or in the same species. They differ “absolutely,” for example, in the case of local motion, where the extremes are separated most widely, as the most easterly and westerly points of the whole universe, which are the limits of its diameter. And they differ “in the same genus,” as the specific differences which divide a genus; and “in the same species,” as contrary differences of an accidental kind by which individuals of the same species differ from each other.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 16 Secundum ponit ibi, alia vero et ostendit qualiter aliqua secundario modo dicuntur contraria, propter hoc quod habent habitudinem ad ea quae principaliter sunt contraria; scilicet quia vel habent contraria in actu, sicut ignis et aqua dicuntur contraria, quia alterum est calidum et alterum frigidum; vel quia sunt susceptibilia contrariorum in potentia, sicut sanativum et aegrotativum. Vel quia sunt activa vel passiva contrariorum in potentia, ut calefactivum et infrigidativum, calefactibile et infrigidabile. Vel quia sunt contrariorum agentia et patientia in actu, sicut calefaciens et infrigidans, calefactum et infrigidatum. Vel quia sunt expulsiones, sive abiectiones, sive acceptiones contrariorum, vel etiam habitus aut privationes eorum. Nam privatio albi opposita est privationi nigri, sicut habitus habitui.	928. [e.g.] Here he shows in what respect some things are said to be contraries in a secondary way because they are related to those things which are contraries in the primary way. For some things are contraries either because they actually possess contraries, as fire and water are called contraries because one is hot and the other cold; or because they are the potential recipients of contraries, as what is receptive of health and of disease; or because they are potentially causing contraries or undergoing them, as what is capable of heating and of cooling, and what is able to be heated and to be cooled; or because they are actually causing contraries or undergoing them, as what is heating and cooling or being heated and being cooled; or because they are expulsions or rejections or acquisitions of contraries, or even possessions or privations of them. For the privation of white is the opposite of the privation of black, just as the possession of the former is the opposite of that of the latter.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 17 Patet ergo quod tangit triplicem habitudinem circa contraria. Una quae est subiecti in actu, vel in potentia. Alia quae est activi et passivi in actu et potentia. Tertia quae est generationis et corruptionis, vel secundum se, vel quantum ad eorum terminos, qui sunt habitus et privatio.	929. It is evident, then, that he touches on a threefold relationship of contraries to things: (1) one is to a subject which is either in act or in potency; (2) another is to something that is active or passive in act or in potency; and (3) a third is to processes of generation and corruption, either to the processes themselves or to their termini, which are possession and privation.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 18 Tertium ponit ibi sed quoniam et ostendit qua de causa praedicta dicuntur multipliciter. Quia enim unum et ens dicuntur multipliciter, oportet quod ea quae dicuntur secundum ea, multipliciter dicantur; sicut idem et diversum, quae consequuntur unum et multa, et contrarium, quod sub diverso continetur. Et ita oportet, quod diversum dividatur secundum decem praedicamenta, sicut ens et unum.	930. But since the term (455). He gives a third way in which the term contrary is used, and he also shows why the foregoing terms are used in many ways. For since the terms one and being have several meanings, the terms which are based upon them must also have several meanings; for example, same and diverse, which flow from one and many; and contrary, which is contained under diverse. Hence diverse must be divided according to the ten categories just as being and one are.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 19 Diversa vero hic ostendit quot modis dicantur aliqua diversa specie: et ponit quinque modos: quorum primus est, quando aliqua sunt in eodem genere, et non sunt subalterna, sicut scientia et albedo sub qualitate, licet non contra se dividantur oppositis differentiis.	931. Those things (456). He now explains the various ways in which things are said to be diverse (or other) in species, and he gives five of these. First, they belong to the same genus and are not subalternate; for example, science and whiteness both come under quality, yet they are not distinguished from each other by opposite differences.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 20 Secundus est, quando sunt ea in eodem genere, et dividuntur contra invicem per aliquam differentiam; sive differentiae sint contrariae, sive non, ut bipes et quadrupes.	932. Second, they belong to the same genus and are distinguished from each other by some difference, whether such differences are contrary or not, as two-footed and four-footed.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 21 Tertius modus est, quando sua subiecta habent contrarietatem, utpote quae dividuntur per differentias contrarias; sive ipsa sint contraria, ut album et nigrum, quae dividuntur per congregativum et disgregativum; sive non, ut homo et asinus, quae dividuntur per rationale et irrationale. Contraria enim oportet esse diversa specie, vel omnia, vel illa quae principaliter dicuntur esse contraria.	933. Third, their subjects contain contrariety; i.e., those things which are distinguished by contrary differences, whether the subjects are contrary themselves (as white and black, which are distinguished by the differences “expanding” and “contracting”) or not (as man and ass, which are distinguished by the differences “rational” and “irrational”). For contraries must differ in species, either all of them, or those which are called contraries in the primary sense.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 22 Quartus modus est, quando sunt diversae species ultimae, eaedemque specialissimae in aliquo genere, ut homo et equus. Magis enim proprie dicuntur specie differre, quae solum specie differunt, quam quae specie et genere.	934. Fourth, the lowest species are diverse and are the last in some genus, as man and horse. For those things which differ only in species are said more properly to differ in species than those which differ both in species and in genus.
lib. 5 l. 12 n. 23 Quintus modus est, quando aliqua accidentia sunt in eodem subiecto, et tamen differunt adinvicem, eo quod impossibile est plura accidentia unius speciei in eodem subiecto esse. Eadem vero specie dicuntur per oppositum ad praedicta.	935. Fifth, they are accidents in the same subject, yet differ from each other; for many accidents of one and the same kind cannot exist in the same subject. And things are said to be the same in species in ways opposite to those given above.