§5#3Δοκεῖ δὲ ἡ οὐσία μὴ ἐπιδέχεσθαι τὸ μᾶλλον καὶ τὸ ἧττον.
Substance does not seem to admit of the more and the less.
Λέγω δὲ οὐχ ὅτι οὐσία οὐσίας οὐκ ἔστι μᾶλλον οὐσία καὶ ἧττον οὐσία (τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ εἴρηται ὅτι ἔστιν), ἀλλ᾿ ὅτι ἑκάστη οὐσία τοῦθ᾿ ὅπερ ἐστίν, οὐ λέγεται μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον.
I do not mean that one substance is not more or less a substance than another (for it has already been said that it is), but that each substance is not said to be more or less that which it is.
Οἷον εἰ ἔστιν αὐτὴ ἡ οὐσία ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἔσται μᾶλλον καὶ ἦττον ἄνθρωπος, οὔτε αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ οὔτε ἕτερος ἑτέρου· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἕτερος ἑτέρου μᾶλλον ἄνθρωπος, ὥσπερ τὸ λευκὸν ἕτερον ἑτέρου μᾶλλόν ἐστι καὶ ἧττον λευκόν, καὶ καλὸν ἕτερον ἑτέρου μᾶλλον καλὸν καὶ ἧττον λέγεται.
For example, if this substance is "man", it will not be more and less man, neither itself than itself, nor another than another; for one man is not more a man than another, as one white thing is more and less white than another, and one beautiful thing is said to be more and less beautiful than another.
Καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ αὑτοῦ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον λέγεται, οἷον τὸ σῶμα λευκὸν ὂν μᾶλλον λευκὸν εἶναι λέγεται νῦν ἢ πρότερον, καὶ θερμὸν ὂν μᾶλλον θερμὸν καὶ ἧττον λέγεται.
And a thing is also said to be more and less than itself; for example, a body being white is said to be more white now than before, and being hot is said to be more and less hot.
Ἡ δέ γε οὐσία οὐδὲν μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον λέγεται· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος μᾶλλον νῦν ἄνθρωπος ἢ πρότερον λέγεται, οὐδέ γε τῶν ἄλλων οὐδέν, ὅσα ἐστὶν οὐσίαι.
But substance is not said to be more or less at all; for a man is not said to be more a man now than before, nor indeed is any other of the things that are substances.
Ὥστε οὐκ ἂν ἐπιδέχοιτο ἡ οὐσία τὸ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον.
Hence substance would not admit of the more and the less.
Μάλιστα δὲ ἴδιον τῆς οὐσίας δοκεῖ εἶναι τὸ ταὐτὸν καὶ ἓν ἀριθμῷ ὂν τῶν ἐναντίων εἶναι δεκτικόν, οἷον ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων οὐκ αν ἔχοι τις τὸ τοιοῦτο προενεγκεῖν, ὅσα μή εἰσιν οὐσίαι, ὃ ἓν ἀριθμῷ ὂν τῶν ἐναντίων δεκτικόν ἐστιν, οἷον τὸ χρῶμα, ὅ ἐστιν ἓν καὶ ταὐτὸν τῷ ἀριθμῷ, οὐκ ἀριθμῷ οὐκ ἔσται φαύλη καὶ σπουδαία· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων, ὅσα μή εἰσιν οὐσίαι.
Most of all, it seems peculiar to substance to be capable of admitting contraries while remaining the same and numerically one. For example, in the case of other things, as many as are not substances, one could not bring forward any such thing which, being numerically one, is capable of admitting contraries; for instance, color, which is one and the same in number, will not... in number, will not be bad and good; and likewise in the case of other things, as many as are not substances.
Ἡ δέ γε οὐσία ἓν καὶ ταὐτὸν ἀριθμῷ ὂν δεκτικὸν τῶν ἐναντίων ἐστίν, οἷον ὁ τὶς ἄνθρωπος, εἶς καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ὤν, ὁτὲ μὲν λευκὸς ὁτὲ δὲ μέλας γίνεται, καὶ θερμὸς καὶ ψυχρός, καὶ φαῦλος καὶ σπουδαῖος.
But substance, being one and the same in number, is capable of admitting contraries; for example, an individual man, being one and the same, becomes at one time white and at another black, both hot and cold, and bad and good.
Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων οὐδενὸς φαίνεται τὸ τοιοῦτον, εἰ μή τις ἐνίσταιτο τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν δόξαν φάσκων τῶν ἐναντίων εἷναι δεκτικά.
In the case of no other thing does such a thing appear, unless someone should object, claiming that statements and opinions are capable of admitting contraries.
Ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς λόγος ἀληθὴς καὶ ψευδῆς εἶναι δοκεῖ, οἷον εἰ ἀληθὴς εἴη ὁ λόγος τὸ καθῆσθαί τινα, ἀναστάντος αὐτοῦ ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος λόγος ψευδὴς ἔσται.
For the same statement seems to be both true and false; for example, if the statement "someone is sitting" is true, when he stands up this same statement will be false.
Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς δόξης· εἰ γάρ τις ἀληθῶς δοξάζοι τὸ καθῆσθαί τινα, ἀναστάντος αὐτοῦ ψευδῶς δοξάσει, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχων περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν.
Likewise in the case of opinion; for if someone truly opines that someone is sitting, when he stands up he will opine falsely, while holding the same opinion about him.
Εἰ δέ τις καὶ τοῦτο παραδέχοιτο, ἀλλὰ τῷ γε τρόπῳ διαφέρει.
But even if one should admit this, yet it differs in the manner.
Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν οὐσιῶν αὐτὰ μεταβάλλοντα δεκτικὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐστί· ψυχρὸν γὰρ ἐκ θερμοῦ γενόμενον μετέβαλεν (ἠλλοίωται γάρ) καὶ μέλαν ἐκ λευκοῦ καὶ σπουδαῖον ἐκ φαύλου.
For in the case of substances, they themselves by changing are capable of admitting contraries; for having become cold from hot, it has changed (for it has altered), and black from white, and good from bad.
Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἕκαστον αὐτῶν μεταβολὴν δεχόμενον τῶν ἐναντίων δεκτικόν ἐστιν.
Likewise, each of the other things, by admitting change itself, is capable of admitting contraries.
Ὁ δὲ λόγος καὶ ἡ δόξα αὐτὰ μὲν ἀκίνητα πάντῃ πάντως διαμένει, τοῦ δὲ πράγματος κινουμένου τὸ ἐναντίον περὶ αὐτὰ γίνεται· ὁ μὲν γὰρ λόγος διαμένει ὁ αὐτὸς τὸ καθῆσθαί τινα, τοῦ δὲ πράγματος κινηθέντος ὁτὲ μὲν ἀληθὴς ὁτὲ δὲ ψευδὴς λέγεται.
But statements and opinions themselves remain entirely and in every way unchanged, but when the thing moves, the contrary occurs concerning them; for the statement "someone is sitting" remains the same, but when the thing has moved, it is said at one time to be true and at another false.
Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς δόξης.
Likewise in the case of opinion.
Ὥστε τῷ τρόπῳ γε ἴδιον ἂν εἴη τῆς οὐσίας τὸ κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῆς μεταβολὴν δεκτικὴν τῶν ἐναντίων εἶναι.
So that, at least in its manner, it would be peculiar to substance to be capable of admitting contraries through its own change.
Εἰ δέ τις καὶ ταῦτα παραδέχοιτο, τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν δόξαν δεκτικὰ τῶν ἐναντίων εἶναι, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθὲς τοῦτο.
And even if one should admit these things, that statements and opinions are capable of admitting contraries, this is not true.
Ὁ γὰρ λόγος καὶ ἡ δόξα οὐ τῷ αὐτὰ δέχεσθαί τι τῶν ἐναντίων εἶναι δεκτικὰ λέγεται, ἀλλὰ τῷ περὶ ἕτερόν τι τὸ πάθος γεγενῆσθαι.
For statements and opinions are not said to be capable of admitting contraries by themselves admitting any of the contraries, but by an affection having occurred concerning something else.
Τῷ γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι ἢ μὴ εἶναι, τούτῳ καὶ ὁ λόγος ἀληθὴς ἢ ψευδὴς εἶναι λέγεται, οὐ τῷ αὐτὸς δεκτικὸς εἶναι τῶν ἐναντίων.
For it is by the thing being or not being so, by this that the statement also is said to be true or false, not by itself being capable of admitting contraries.
Ἁπλῶς γὰρ οὐθὲν ὑπ᾿ οὐδενὸς οὔτε ὁ λόγος κινεῖται οὔτε ἡ δόξα, ὥστε οὐκ ἂν εἴη δεκτικὰ τῶν ἐναντίων μηδενὸς ἐν αὐτοῖς γινομένου πάθους.
For, simply, neither statement nor opinion is moved by anything, so that they would not be capable of admitting contraries since no affection occurs in them.
Ἡ δέ γε οὐσία τῷ αὐτὴ τὰ ἐναντία δέχεσθαι, τούτῳ δεκτικὴ τῶν ἐναντίων εἶναι λέγεται· νόσον γὰρ καὶ ὑγίειαν δέχεται, καὶ λευκότητα καὶ μελανίαν· καὶ ἕκαστον τῶν τοιούτων αὐτὴ δεχομένη τῶν ἐναντίων εἶναι δεκτικὴ λέγεται.
But substance, by itself admitting the contraries, by this is said to be capable of admitting contraries; for it admits sickness and health, and whiteness and blackness; and by itself admitting each of such things, it is said to be capable of admitting contraries.
Ὥστε ἴδιον ἂν οὐσίας εἴη τὸ ταὐτὸν καὶ ἓν ἀριθμῷ ὂν δεκτικὸν εἶναι τῶν ἐναντίων κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῆς μεταβολήν.
Thus, it would be peculiar to substance that, remaining the same and numerically one, it is capable of admitting contraries through its own change.
Περὶ μὲν οὖν οὐσίας τοσαῦτα εἰρήσθω.
Let this much, then, be said concerning substance.