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Aristotle · Metaphysics §5.27-5.28

Definitions of the Mutilated and Genus

Passage 58 of 159 · Greek

Summary

Aristotle defines 'mutilated' as a state where a divisible whole loses a non-essential extremity while retaining its substance, and then explains the multiple senses of 'genus' (continuous generation, first progenitor, and substrate or matter in definitions and figures) along with what it means to be 'different in genus.'

§5.27κολοβὸν δὲ λέγεται τῶν ποσῶν οὐ τὸ τυχόν, ἀλλὰ μεριστόν τε δεῖ αὐτὸ εἶναι καὶ ὅλον.
"Mutilated" is said of quantities, not of any chance quantity, but it must be both divisible and a whole.
τά τε γὰρ δύο οὐ κολοβὰ θατέρου ἀφαιρουμένου ἑνός (οὐ γὰρ ἴσον τὸ καλόβωμα καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐδέποτʼ ἐστίν) οὐδʼ ὅλως ἀριθμὸς οὐδείς· καὶ γὰρ τὴν οὐσίαν δεῖ μένειν· εἰ κύλιξ κολοβός, ἔτι εἶναι κύλικα· ὁ δὲ ἀριθμὸς οὐκέτι ὁ αὐτός.
For two is not mutilated when one of the two is subtracted (for the part cut off and the remainder are never equal), nor is any number at all; for the substance must remain; if a cup is mutilated, it must still be a cup, but the number is no longer the same.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις κἂν ἀνομοιομερῆ ᾖ, οὐδὲ ταῦτα πάντα (ὁ γὰρ ἀριθμὸς ἔστιν ὡς καὶ ἀνόμοια ἔχει μέρη, οἷον δυάδα τριάδα), ἀλλʼ ὅλως ὧν μὴ ποιεῖ ἡ θέσις διαφορὰν οὐδὲν κολοβόν, οἷον ὕδωρ ἢ πῦρ, ἀλλὰ δεῖ τοιαῦτα εἶναι ἃ κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν θέσιν ἔχει.
And besides these, even if a thing consists of unlike parts, not even all of these can be mutilated (for number too in a way has unlike parts, as two and three); but in general, of things whose position makes no difference, nothing is mutilated, as water or fire, but they must be such as have position according to their substance.
ἔτι συνεχῆ· ἡ γὰρ ἁρμονία ἐξ ἀνομοίων μὲν καὶ θέσιν ἔχει, κολοβὸς δὲ οὐ γίγνεται.
Further, they must be continuous; for a scale consists of unlike parts and has position, but it does not become mutilated.
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οὐδʼ ὅσα ὅλα, οὐδὲ ταῦτα ὁτουοῦν μορίου στερήσει κολοβά.
And besides these, not even things that are wholes are mutilated by the privation of any part whatever.
οὐ γὰρ δεῖ οὔτε τὰ κύρια τῆς οὐσίας οὔτε τὰ ὁπουοῦν ὄντα· οἷον ἂν τρυπηθῇ ἡ κύλιξ, οὐ κολοβός, ἀλλʼ ἂν τὸ οὖς ἢ ἀκρωτήριόν τι, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἐὰν σάρκα ἢ τὸν σπλῆνα, ἀλλʼ ἐὰν ἀκρωτήριόν τι, καὶ τοῦτο οὐ πᾶν ἀλλʼ ὃ μὴ ἔχει γένεσιν ἀφαιρεθὲν ὅλον.
For it must be neither the decisive parts of the substance nor those which are anywhere; for example, if the cup is pierced, it is not mutilated, but if its handle or some extremity is removed; and a man is not mutilated if he loses flesh or his spleen, but if he loses some extremity, and this not any extremity, but one which does not grow again when completely removed.
διὰ τοῦτο οἱ φαλακροὶ οὐ κολοβοί.
For this reason, bald men are not mutilated.
§5.28γένος λέγεται τὸ μὲν ἐὰν ᾖ ἡ γένεσις συνεχὴς τῶν τὸ εἶδος ἐχόντων τὸ αὐτό, οἷον λέγεται ἕως ἂν ἀνθρώπων γένος ᾖ, ὅτι ἕως ἂν ᾖ ἡ γένεσις συνεχὴς αὐτῶν· τὸ δὲ ἀφʼ οὗ ἂν ὦσι πρώτου κινήσαντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι· οὕτω γὰρ λέγονται Ἕλληνες τὸ γένος οἱ δὲ Ἴωνες, τῷ οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ Ἕλληνος οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ Ἴωνος εἶναι πρώτου γεννήσαντος· καὶ μᾶλλον οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ γεννήσαντος ἢ τῆς ὕλης (λέγονται γὰρ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ θήλεος τὸ γένος, οἷον οἱ ἀπὸ Πύρρας).
"Genus" is said, in one way, if the generation of things having the same species is continuous, as it is said "so long as the genus of men exists", because so long as their generation is continuous; in another way, of that from which as the first mover they came into being; for in this way some are called Hellenes by genus, and others Ionians, because some are from Hellen, and others from Ion, as the first generator; and more from the generator than from the matter (for they are also called genus from the female, as those from Pyrrha).
ἔτι δὲ ὡς τὸ ἐπίπεδον τῶν σχημάτων γένος τῶν ἐπιπέδων καὶ τὸ στερεὸν τῶν στερεῶν· ἕκαστον γὰρ τῶν σχημάτων τὸ μὲν ἐπίπεδον τοιονδὶ τὸ δὲ στερεόν ἐστι τοιονδί· τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ τὸ ὑποκείμενον ταῖς διαφοραῖς.
And further, as the plane is the genus of plane figures, and the solid of solid figures; for each of the figures is a plane of a certain kind, or a solid of a certain kind; and this is the substrate for the differences.
ἔτι ὡς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τὸ πρῶτον ἐνυπάρχον, ὃ λέγεται ἐν τῷ τί ἐστι, τοῦτο γένος, οὗ διαφοραὶ λέγονται αἱ ποιότητες.
Further, in definitions, the first inherent element, which is said in the "what it is", this is the genus, of which the qualities are said to be differences.
τὸ μὲν οὖν γένος τοσαυταχῶς λέγεται, τὸ μὲν κατὰ γένεσιν συνεχῆ τοῦ αὐτοῦ εἴδους, τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὸ πρῶτον κινῆσαν ὁμοειδές, τὸ δʼ ὡς ὕλη· οὗ γὰρ ἡ διαφορὰ καὶ ἡ ποιότης ἐστί, τοῦτʼ ἔστι τὸ ὑποκείμενον, ὃ λέγομεν ὕλην.
Genus, then, is said in so many ways: in one way, according to the continuous generation of the same species; in another, according to the first mover of the same kind; in another, as matter; for that to which the difference and quality belong is the substrate, which we call matter.
ἕτερα δὲ τῷ γένει λέγεται ὧν ἕτερον τὸ πρῶτον ὑποκείμενον καὶ μὴ ἀναλύεται θάτερον εἰς θάτερον μηδʼ ἄμφω εἰς ταὐτόν, οἷον τὸ εἶδος καὶ ἡ ὕλη ἕτερον τῷ γένει, καὶ ὅσα καθʼ ἕτερον σχῆμα κατηγορίας τοῦ ὄντος λέγεται (τὰ μὲν γὰρ τί ἐστι σημαίνει τῶν ὄντων τὰ δὲ ποιόν τι τὰ δʼ ὡς διῄρηται πρότερον)· οὐδὲ γὰρ ταῦτα ἀναλύεται οὔτʼ εἰς ἄλληλα οὔτʼ εἰς ἕν τι.
And things are said to be "different in genus" of which the first substrate is different, and the one is not resolved into the other, nor both into the same, as the form and the matter are different in genus, and all those things which are said according to a different figure of category of being (for some of the things that are signify the "what it is", others a "quality", and others as was distinguished before); for neither are these resolved into one another nor into any one thing.

Notes

  1. 1024a13θατέρου ἀφαιρουμένου ἑνός — A genitive absolute construction, meaning 'when one (of the two units) is subtracted,' describing a hypothetical scenario where the number decreases from two to one.
  2. 1024a23οὔτε τὰ κύρια τῆς οὐσίας οὔτε τὰ ὁπουοῦν ὄντα — Dependent on the main verb `δεῖ` (here with a negative force, 'must not be'), specifying the conditions for the part whose privation constitutes mutilation. It must neither be a crucial part that destroys the substance nor a part that is merely anywhere.
  3. 1024b10ὧν ἕτερον τὸ πρῶτον ὑποκείμενον — A relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun `ὧν` (with `ἕτερα` as its antecedent), where the copula `ἐστί` is omitted. Meaning 'of which the first substrate is different,' it defines what is 'different in genus.'

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Metaphysics §5.27-5.28. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg025.humanitext-grc2:5.27-5.28

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