第 151 节
作者:
卖吻 更新:2021-08-28 17:09 字数:9321
9。 So much for one of the genera… the 〃Substance;〃 so called; of the Sensible realm。 But what are we to posit as its species? how divide this genus? The genus as a whole must be identified with body。 Bodies may be divided into the characteristically material and the organic: the material bodies comprise fire; earth; water; air; the organic the bodies of plants and animals; these in turn admitting of formal differentiation。 The next step is to find the species of earth and of the other elements; and in the case of organic bodies to distinguish plants according to their forms; and the bodies of animals either by their habitations… on the earth; in the earth; and similarly for the other elements… or else as light; heavy and intermediate。 Some bodies; we shall observe; stand in the middle of the universe; others circumscribe it from above; others occupy the middle sphere: in each case we shall find bodies different in shape; so that the bodies of the living beings of the heavens may be differentiated from those of the other elements。 Once we have classified bodies into the four species; we are ready to combine them on a different principle; at the same time intermingling their differences of place; form and constitution; the resultant combinations will be known as fiery or earthy on the basis of the excess or predominance of some one element。 The distinction between First and Second Substances; between Fire and a given example of fire; entails a difference of a peculiar kind… the difference between universal and particular。 This however is not a difference characteristic of Substance; there is also in Quality the distinction between whiteness and the white object; between grammar and some particular grammar。 The question may here be asked: 〃What deficiency has grammar compared with a particular grammar; and science as a whole in comparison with a science?〃 Grammar is certainly not posterior to the particular grammar: on the contrary; the grammar as in you depends upon the prior existence of grammar as such: the grammar as in you becomes a particular by the fact of being in you; it is otherwise identical with grammar the universal。 Turn to the case of Socrates: it is not Socrates who bestows manhood upon what previously was not Man; but Man upon Socrates; the individual man exists by participation in the universal。 Besides; Socrates is merely a particular instance of Man; this particularity can have no effect whatever in adding to his essential manhood。 We may be told that Man 'the universal' is Form alone; Socrates Form in Matter。 But on this very ground Socrates will be less fully Man than the universal; for the Reason…Principle will be less effectual in Matter。 If; on the contrary; Man is not determined by Form alone; but presupposes Matter; what deficiency has Man in comparison with the material manifestation of Man; or the Reason…Principle in isolation as compared with its embodiment in a unit of Matter? Besides; the more general is by nature prior; hence; the Form…Idea is prior to the individual: but what is prior by nature is prior unconditionally。 How then can the Form take a lower rank? The individual; it is true; is prior in the sense of being more readily accessible to our cognisance; this fact; however; entails no objective difference。 Moreover; such a difference; if established; would be incompatible with a single Reason…Principle of Substance; First and Second Substance could not have the same Principle; nor be brought under a single genus。 10。 Another method of division is possible: substances may be classed as hot…dry; dry…cold; cold…moist; or however we choose to make the coupling。 We may then proceed to the combination and blending of these couples; either halting at that point and going no further than the compound; or else subdividing by habitation… on the earth; in the earth… or by form and by the differences exhibited by living beings; not qua living; but in their bodies viewed as instruments of life。 Differentiation by form or shape is no more out of place than a division based on qualities… heat; cold and the like。 If it be objected that qualities go to make bodies what they are; then; we reply; so do blendings; colours; shapes。 Since our discussion is concerned with Sensible Substance; it is not strange that it should turn upon distinctions related to sense…perception: this Substance is not Being pure and simple; but the Sensible Being which we call the Universe。 We have remarked that its apparent subsistence is in fact an assemblage of Sensibles; their existence guaranteed to us by sense…perception。 But since their combination is unlimited; our division must be guided by the Form…Ideas of living beings; as for example the Form…Idea of Man implanted in Body; the particular Form acts as a qualification of Body; but there is nothing unreasonable in using qualities as a basis of division。 We may be told that we have distinguished between simple and composite bodies; even ranking them as opposites。 But our distinction; we reply; was between material and organic bodies and raised no question of the composite。 In fact; there exists no means of opposing the composite to the simple; it is necessary to determine the simples in the first stage of division; and then; combining them on the basis of a distinct underlying principle; to differentiate the composites in virtue of their places and shapes; distinguishing for example the heavenly from the earthly。 These observations will suffice for the Being 'Substance'; or rather the Becoming; which obtains in the Sensible realm。 11。 Passing to Quantity and the quantum; we have to consider the view which identifies them with number and magnitude on the ground that everything quantitative is numbered among Sensible things or rated by the extension of its substrate: we are here; of course; discussing not Quantity in isolation; but that which causes a piece of wood to be three yards long and gives the five in 〃five horses;〃 Now we have often maintained that number and magnitude are to be regarded as the only true quantities; and that Space and Time have no right to be conceived as quantitative: Time as the measure of Motion should be assigned to Relation; while Space; being that which circumscribes Body; is also a relative and falls under the same category; though continuous; it is; like Motion; not included in Quantity。 On the other hand; why do we not find in the category of Quantity 〃great〃 and 〃small〃? It is some kind of Quantity which gives greatness to the great; greatness is not a relative; though greater and smaller are relatives; since these; like doubleness; imply an external correlative。 What is it; then; which makes a mountain small and a grain of millet large? Surely; in the first place; 〃small〃 is equivalent to 〃smaller。〃 It is admitted that the term is applied only to things of the same kind; and from this admission we may infer that the mountain is 〃smaller〃 rather than 〃small;〃 and that the grain of millet is not large in any absolute sense but large for a grain of millet。 In other words; since the comparison is between things of the same kind; the natural predicate would be a comparative。 Again; why is not beauty classed as a relative? Beauty; unlike greatness; we regard as absolute and as a quality; 〃more beautiful〃 is the relative。 Yet even the term 〃beautiful〃 may be attached to something which in a given relation may appear ugly: the beauty of man; for example; is ugliness when compared with that of the gods; 〃the most beautiful of monkeys;〃 we may quote; 〃is ugly in comparison with any other type。〃 Nonetheless; a thing is beautiful in itself; as related to something else it is either more or less beautiful。 Similarly; an object is great in itself; and its greatness is due; not to any external; but to its own participation in the Absolute Great。 Are we actually to eliminate the beautiful on the pretext that there is a more beautiful? No more then must we eliminate the great because of the greater: the greater can obviously have no existence whatever apart from the great; just as the more beautiful can have no existence without the beautiful。 12。 It follows that we must allow contrariety to Quantity: whenever we speak of great and small; our notions acknowledge this contrariety by evolving opposite images; as also when we refer to many and few; indeed; 〃few〃 and 〃many〃 call for similar treatment to 〃small〃 and 〃great。〃 〃Many;〃 predicated of the inhabitants of a house; does duty for 〃more〃: 〃few〃 people are said to be in the theatre instead of 〃less。〃 〃Many;〃 again; necessarily involves a large numerical plurality。 This plurality can scarcely be a relative; it is simply an expansion of number; its contrary being a contraction。 The same applies to the continuous 'magnitude'; the notion of which entails prolongation to a distant point。 Quantity; then; appears whenever there is a progression from the unit or the point: if either progression comes to a rapid halt; we have respectively 〃few〃 and 〃small〃; if it goes forward and does not quickly cease; 〃many〃 and 〃great。〃 What; we may be asked; is the limit of this progression? What; we retort; is the limit