Authors/Thomas Aquinas/metaphysics/liber5/lect8

Lecture 8

Latin	English
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 1 Hic philosophus reducit omnes modos ad unum primum; et circa hoc duo facit. Primo ponit reductionem praedictam. Secundo super modos positos ponit alium modum unitatis, ibi, amplius autem et cetera. Dicit ergo primo, quod ex hoc patet, quod illa quae sunt penitus indivisibilia, maxime dicuntur unum: quia ad hunc modum omnes alii modi reducuntur, quia universaliter hoc est verum, quod quaecumque non habent divisionem, secundum hoc dicuntur unum, inquantum divisionem non habent. Sicut quae non dividuntur in eo quod est homo, dicuntur unum in homine, sicut Socrates et Plato. Et quae non dividuntur in ratione animalis, dicuntur unum in animali. Et quae non dividuntur in magnitudine vel mensura, dicuntur unum secundum magnitudinem, sicut continua.	866. Here the Philosopher reduces all senses in which things are said to be one to one primary sense, and in regard to this he does two things. First, he makes this reduction; and second (870), to those senses in which things are said to be one, which have already been given, he adds another (“Again, in one sense”). He accordingly says, first, that it is evident from what precedes that things which are indivisible in every way are said to be one in the highest degree. For all the other senses in which things are said to be one are reducible to this sense, because it is universally true that those things which do not admit of division are said to be one insofar as they do not admit of division. For example, those things which are undivided insofar as they are man are said to be one in humanity, as Socrates and Plato; those which are undivided in the notion of animality are said to be one in animality; and those which are undivided from the viewpoint of extension or measure are said to be one in quantity, as continuous things.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 2 Et ex hoc potest accipi etiam numerus et diversitas modorum unius suprapositorum; quia unum aut est indivisibile simpliciter, aut indivisibile secundum quid. Siquidem simpliciter, sic est ultimus modus, qui est principalis. Si autem est indivisibile secundum quid, aut secundum quantitatem tantum, aut secundum naturam. Si secundum quantitatem, sic est primus modus. Si secundum naturam, aut quantum ad subiectum, aut quantum ad divisionem quae se tenet ex parte formae. Si quantum ad subiectum, vel quantum ad subiectum reale, et sic est secundus modus. Vel quantum ad subiectum rationis, et sic est tertius modus. Indivisibilitas autem formae, quae est indivisibilitas rationis, idest definitionis, facit quartum modum.	867. And from this we can also derive number and the types of unity given above, because what is one is indivisible either in an absolute sense or in a qualified one. (5) If it is indivisible in an absolute sense, it is the last type of unity, which is a principle; but if it is indivisible in a qualified sense, it is so either in quantity alone or in nature. (1) If it is indivisible in quantity, then it is the first type. If it is indivisible in nature, it is so either in reference to its subject or to the division which depends upon the form. If it is divisible in reference to its subject, (2) it is so either in reference to a real subject, and then it is the second type, or (3) to a logical subject, and then it is the third type. (4) And indivisibility of form, which is indivisibility of intelligible structure, or definition, constitutes the fourth type.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 3 Ex his autem modis ulterius aliqui alii modi derivantur. Plurima autem sunt, quae dicuntur unum, ex eo quod faciunt unum; sicut plures homines dicuntur unum, ex hoc quod trahunt navem. Et etiam dicuntur aliqua unum, ex eo quod unum patiuntur; sicut multi homines sunt unus populus, ex eo quod ab uno rege reguntur. Quaedam vero dicuntur unum ex eo quod habent aliquid unum, sicut multi possessores unius agri sunt unum in dominio eius. Quaedam etiam dicuntur unum ex hoc quod sunt aliquid unum; sicut multi homines albi dicuntur unum, quia quilibet eorum albus est.	868. Now from these senses of the term one certain others are again derived. Thus there are many things which are said to be one because they are doing one thing. For example, many men are said to be one insofar as they are rowing a boat. And some things are said to be one because they are subject to one thing; for example, many men constitute one people because they are ruled by one king. And some are said to be one because they possess one thing; for example, many owners of a field are said to be one in their ownership of it. And some things are also said to be one because they are something which is one; for example, many men are said to be one because each of them is white.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 4 Sed respectu omnium istorum modorum secundariorum, primo dicuntur unum illa quae sunt unum secundum suam substantiam, de quibus supra dictum est in quinque modis suprapositis. Una namque substantia est, aut ratione continuitatis, sicut in primo modo: aut propter speciem subiecti, sicut in secundo modo, et etiam in tertio, prout unitas generis aliquid habet simile cum unitate speciei: aut etiam propter rationem, sicut in quarto et in quinto modo. Et quod adhuc ex his modis aliqua dicantur unum, patet per oppositum. Aliqua enim sunt numero plura, vel numerantur ut plura, quia non sunt continua, vel quia non habent speciem unam, vel quia non conveniunt in una ratione.	869. But considering all of these secondary senses in which things are said to be one, which have already been stated in the five ways given above, we can say that those things are one in the primary sense which are one in their substance.(1) For a thing is one in substance either by reason of its continuity, as in the first way; or (2) because of the species of the subject, as in the second way; (3) and again in the third way because the unity of the genus is somewhat similar to the unity of the species; or also (4 & 5) because of the intelligible structure, as in the fourth and fifth ways. That some things are said to be one in these ways is clear from the opposite of one. For things are many in number, i.e., they are counted as many, either because they are continuous, or because they do not have one species, or because they do not have one common intelligible structure.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 5 Deinde cum dicit amplius autem addit alium modum a supradictis, qui non sumitur ex ratione indivisionis sicut praedicti, sed magis ex ratione divisionis; et dicit, quod quandoque aliqua dicuntur unum propter solam continuitatem, quandoque vero non, nisi sit aliquod totum et perfectum; quod quidem contingit quando habet aliquam unam speciem, non quidem sicut subiectum homogeneum dicitur unum specie quod pertinet ad secundum modum positum prius, sed secundum quod species in quadam totalitate consistit requirens determinatum ordinem partium; sicut patet quod non dicimus unum aliquid, ut artificiatum, quando videmus partes calceamenti qualitercumque compositas, nisi forte secundum quod accipitur unum pro continuo; sed tunc dicimus esse unum omnes partes calceamenti, quando sic sunt compositae, quod sit calceamentum et habeat aliquam unam speciem, scilicet calceamenti.	870. Again, in one sense (430)Then he gives an additional sense in which the term one is used, which differs from the preceding ones. This sense is not derived from thr- notion of indivision, as the foregoing are, but rather from the notion of division. He says that sometimes some things are said to be one because of continuity alone, and sometimes they are said to be one only if they constitute a whole and something complete. Now this happens when the thing has one form, not in the sense that a homogeneous subject is said to have one form, which pertains to the second type given above, but in the sense that the form consists in a kind of totality requiring a definite order of parts. Thus it is clear that we do not say that a thing is one, for example, some artifact such as a shoe, when we see the parts put together in any way at all (unless perhaps it is taken to be one insofar as it is continuous); but we say that all parts of a shoe are one when they are united in such a way that the thing is a shoe and has one form-that of a shoe.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 6 Et ex hoc patet, quod linea circularis est maxime una; quia non solum habet continuitatem, sicut linea recta; sed etiam habet totalitatem et perfectionem, quod non habet linea recta. Perfectum est enim et totum, cui nihil deest: quod quidem contingit lineae circulari. Non enim potest sibi fieri additio, sicut fit lineae rectae.	871. And from this it is clear that a circular line is one in the highest degree. For a circular line is not only continuous like a straight line, but also has a totality and completeness which a straight line does not have; for that is complete and whole which lacks nothing. Now this characteristic belongs to a circular line; for nothing can be added to a circular line, but something can be added to a straight one.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 7 Deinde cum dicit uni vero ponit quamdam proprietatem consequentem unum; et dicit, quod ratio unius est in hoc, quod sit principium alicuius numeri. Quod ex hoc patet, quia unum est prima mensura numeri, quo omnis numerus mensuratur: mensura autem habet rationem principii, quia per mensuram res mensuratae cognoscuntur, res autem cognoscuntur per sua propria principia. Et ex hoc patet, quod unum est principium noti vel cognoscibilis circa quodlibet, et est in omnibus principium cognoscendi.	872. But the essence (432). Then he indicates a property which flows from oneness or unity. He says that the essence of one consists in being the principle of some number. This is clear from the fact that the unit is the primary numerical measure by which every number is measured. Now a measure has the character of a principle, because measured things are known by their measure, and things are known by their proper principles. And it is clear from this that unity is the first principle of what is known or knowable about each thing, and that it is the principle of knowing in all classes.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 8 Hoc autem unum, quod est principium cognoscendi, non est idem in omnibus generibus. In genere enim consonantiarum est unum, quod est diesis, quod est minimum in consonantiis. Diesis enim est semitonium minus. Dividitur enim tonus in duo semitonia inaequalia, quorum unus dicitur diesis. In vocibus autem unum primum et minimum est litera vocalis, aut consonans; et magis vocalis quam consonans, ut in decimo dicetur. Et in gravitatibus sive ponderibus est aliquid minimum, quod est mensura, scilicet uncia, vel aliquid aliud huiusmodi. Et in motibus est una prima mensura, quae mensurat alios motus, scilicet motus simplicissimus et velocissimus, sicut est motus diurnus.	873. But this unity which is the principle of knowing is not the same in all classes of things. For in the class of musical sounds it is the lesser half tone, which is the smallest thing in this class; for a lesser half tone is less than a half tone since a tone is divided into two unequal half tones one of which is called a lesser half tone. And in the class of words the first and smallest unity is the vowel or consonant; and the vowel to a greater degree than the consonant, as will be stated in Book X (831:C 1971). And in the class of heavy things or weights there is some smallest thing which is their measure, i.e., the ounce or something of this kind. And in the class of motions there is one first measure which measures the other motions, namely, the simplest and swiftest motion, which is the diurnal motion.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 9 In omnibus tamen istis hoc est commune, quod illud, quod est prima mensura, est indivisibile secundum quantitatem, vel secundum speciem. Quod igitur est in genere quantitatis unum et primum, oportet quod sit indivisibile et secundum quantitatem. Si autem sit omnino indivisibile et secundum quantitatem et non habeat positionem, dicitur unitas. Punctus vero est id, quod est omnino indivisibile secundum quantitatem et tamen habet positionem. Linea vero est quod est divisibile secundum unam dimensionem tantum: superficies vero secundum duas. Corpus autem est omnibus modis divisibile secundum quantitatem, scilicet secundum tres dimensiones. Et hae descriptiones convertuntur. Nam omne quod duabus dimensionibus dividitur, est superficies, et sic de aliis.	874. Yet all of these have this feature in common that the first measure is indivisible in quantity or in species. Hence, in order that something be one and first in the genus of quantity it must be indivisible, and indivisible in quantity. It is called a unit if it is indivisible in every way and has no position, and a point if it is altogether indivisible in quantity but has position. A line is something divisible in one dimension only; a surface, in two; and a body, in all, i.e., in three dimensions. And these descriptions are reversible; for everything that is divisible in two dimensions is a surface, and so on with the others.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 10 Sciendum est autem quod esse mensuram est propria ratio unius secundum quod est principium numeri. Hoc autem non est idem cum uno quod convertitur cum ente, ut in quarto dictum est. Ratio enim illius unius in sola indivisione consistit: huiusmodi autem unius in mensuratione. Sed tamen haec ratio mensurae, licet primo conveniat uni quod est principium numeri, tamen per quamdam similitudinem derivatur ad unum in aliis generibus, ut in decimo huius philosophus ostendet. Et secundum hoc ratio mensurae invenitur in quolibet genere. Haec autem ratio mensurae consequitur rationem indivisionis, sicut habitum est. Et ideo unum non omnino aequivoce dicitur de eo quod convertitur cum ente, et de eo quod est principium numeri; sed secundum prius et posterius.	875. Again, it must be noted that being a measure is the distinctive characteristic of unity insofar as it is the principle of number. But this unity or one is not the same as that which is interchangeable with being, as has been stated in Book IV (303:C 557). For the concept of the latter kind of unity involves only being undivided, but that of the former kind involves being a measure. But even though this character of a measure belongs to the unity which is the principle of number, still by a kind of likeness it is transferred to the unity found in other classes of things, as the Philosopher will show in Book X of this work (814:C 1921). And according to this the character of a measure is found in any class of things. But this character of a measure is a natural consequence of the note of undividedness, as has been explained (432:C 872). Hence the term one is not predicated in a totally equivocal sense of the unity which is interchangeable with being and of that which is the principle of number, but it is predicated of one primarily and of the other secondarily.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 11 Deinde cum dicit amplius autem ponit aliam divisionem unius, quae est magis logica; dicens, quod quaedam sunt unum numero, quaedam specie, quaedam genere, quaedam analogia. Numero quidem sunt unum, quorum materia est una. Materia enim, secundum quod stat sub dimensionibus signatis, est principium individuationis formae. Et propter hoc ex materia habet singulare quod sit unum numero ab aliis divisum.	876. Further, some things (433). Then he gives another way of dividing unity, and this division is rather from the viewpoint of logic. He says that some things are one in number, some in species, some in genus, and some analogically. Those things are one in number whose matter is one; for insofar as matter has certain designated dimensions it is the principle by which a form is individuated. And for this reason a singular thing is numerically one and divided from other things as a result of matter.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 12 Specie autem dicuntur unum, quorum una est ratio, idest definitio. Nam nihil proprie definitur nisi species, cum omnis definitio ex genere et differentia constet. Et si aliquod genus definitur, hoc est inquantum est species.	877. Those things are said to be one in species which have one “intelligible structure,” or definition; for the only thing that is defined in a proper sense is the species, since every definition is composed of a genus and a difference. And if any genus is defined, this happens in so far as it is a species.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 13 Unum vero genere sunt, quae conveniunt in figura praedicationis, idest quae habent unum modum praedicandi. Alius enim est modus quo praedicatur substantia, et quo praedicatur qualitas vel actio; sed omnes substantiae habent unum modum praedicandi, inquantum praedicantur non ut in subiecto existentes.	878. Those things are one in genus which have in common one of the “figures of predication,” i.e., which have one way of being predicated. For the way in which substance is predicated and that in which quality or action is predicated are different; but all substances have one way of being predicated inasmuch as they are not predicated as something which is present in a subject.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 14 Proportione vero vel analogia sunt unum quaecumque in hoc conveniunt, quod hoc se habet ad illud sicut aliud ad aliud. Et hoc quidem potest accipi duobus modis, vel in eo quod aliqua duo habent diversas habitudines ad unum; sicut sanativum de urina dictum habitudinem significat signi sanitatis; de medicina vero, quia significat habitudinem causae respectu eiusdem. Vel in eo quod est eadem proportio duorum ad diversa, sicut tranquillitatis ad mare et serenitatis ad aerem. Tranquillitas enim est quies maris et serenitas aeris.	879. And those things are proportionally or analogically one which agree in this respect that one is related to another as some third thing is to a fourth. Now this can be taken in two ways: (1) either in the sense that any two things are related in different ways to one third thing (for example, the term healthy is predicated of urine because it signifies the relationship of a sign of health [to health itself]; and of medicine because it signifies the relationship of a cause to the same health); (2) or it may be taken in the sense that the proportion of two things to two other things is the same (for example, tranquillity to the sea and serenity to the air; for tranquillity is a state of rest in the sea, and serenity is a state of rest in the air).
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 15 In istis autem modis unius, semper posterius sequitur ad praecedens et non convertitur. Quaecumque enim sunt unum numero, sunt specie unum et non convertitur. Et idem patet in aliis.	880. Now with regard to the ways in which things are one, the latter types of unity always follow the former, and not the reverse; for those things which are one in number are one in species, but not the other way about. The same thing is clear in the other cases.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 16 Deinde cum dicit palam autem ex modis unius accipit modos multorum; et dicit, quod multa dicuntur per oppositum ad unum. Et ideo quot modis dicitur unum, tot modis dicuntur multa; quia quoties dicitur unum oppositorum, toties dicitur et reliquum. Unde aliqua dicuntur multa propter hoc, quod non sunt continua. Quod est per oppositum ad primum modum unius.	881. Moreover, itis evident (434). From the ways in which things are said to be one he now derives the ways in which things are said to be many. He says that things are said to be many in just as many ways as they are said to be one, because in the case of opposite terms one is used in as many ways as the other. (1) Hence some things are said to be many because they are not continuous, which is the opposite of the first way in which things are one.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 17 Alia dicuntur multa propter hoc quod materiam habent divisam secundum speciem, sive intelligamus de materia prima, idest proxima, aut de finali sive ultima, in quam ultimo fit resolutio. Per divisionem quippe proximae materiae dicuntur multa vinum et oleum: per divisionem vero materiae remotae, vinum et lapis. Et si materia accipiatur tam pro materia naturae quam pro materia rationis, scilicet pro genere quod habet similitudinem materiae, hic modus multitudinis sumitur per oppositum ad secundum et tertium modum unius.	882. (2 & 3) Other things are said to be many because their matter is divisible in species, whether we understand by matter “the first,” i.e., their proximate matter, or the final or ultimate matter into which they are ultimately dissolved. Indeed, it is by the division of their proximate matter that wine and oil are said to be many, and by the division of their remote matter that wine and a stone are said to be many. And if matter be taken both for real matter and for conceptual matter, i.e., for a genus, which resembles matter, many in this sense is taken as the opposite of the second and third ways in which things are said to be one.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 18 Alia vero dicuntur multa quae habent rationes, quod quid est esse dicentes, plures. Et hoc sumitur per oppositum ad quartum modum.	883. (4) And still other things are said to be many when the conceptions which express their essence are many. And many in this sense is taken as the opposite of the fourth way in which things are said to be one.
lib. 5 l. 8 n. 19 Quod autem opponitur quinto modo, nondum habet rationem pluralitatis nisi secundum quid et in potentia. Non enim ex hoc quod aliquid est divisibile propter hoc est multa nisi in potentia.	884. (5) But the opposite of the fifth way in which things are one does not have the notion of many except in a qualified sense and potentially; for the fact that a thing is divisible does not make it many except potentially.