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Aristotle · Topics §4.2#2

Applicability of Genus Definitions and the Role of Differences

Passage 33 of 94 · Greek

Summary

Various criteria are presented to check whether the definitions of genera apply to their species and participants, and whether errors have been made in the inclusion and priority relations among genera, species, and differences.

§4.2#2Σκοπεῖν δὲ καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν γενῶν, εἰ ἐφαρμόττουσιν ἐπί τε τὸ ἀποδοθὲν εἶδος καὶ τὰ μετέχοντα τοῦ εἴδους.
One must also examine the definitions of the genera, to see if they apply both to the assigned species and to the things that partake of the species.
Ἀνάγκη γὰρ τοὺς τῶν γενῶν λόγους κατηγορεῖσθαι τοῦ εἴδους καὶ τῶν μετεχόντων τοῦ εἴδους· εἰ οὖν που διαφωνεῖ, δῆλον ὅτι οὐ γένος τὸ ἀποδοθέν.
For the definitions of the genera must of necessity be predicated of the species and of the things that partake of the species; if, then, there is a discrepancy anywhere, it is clear that the assigned genus is not a genus.
Πάλιν εἰ τὴν διαφορὰν ὡς γένος ἀπέδωκεν, οἷον εἰ τὸ ἀθάνατον γένος θεοῦ.
Again, one must see if he has assigned the difference as a genus, as, for example, if he has assigned the "immortal" as the genus of "god".
Διαφορὰ γάρ ἐστι ζῴου τὸ ἀθάνατον, ἐπειδὴ τῶν ζῴων τὰ μὲν θνητὰ τὰ δ᾿ ἀθάνατα.
For "immortal" is a difference of "living being", since of living beings some are mortal and others are immortal.
Δῆλον οὖν ὅτι διημάρτηται· οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἡ διαφορὰ γένος ἐστίν.
It is clear, then, that an error has been committed; for the difference is the genus of nothing.
Ὅτι δὲ τοῦτ᾿ ἀληθές, δῆλον. οὐδεμία γὰρ διαφορὰ σημαίνει τί ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ποιόν τι, καθάπερ τὸ πεζὸν καὶ τὸ δίπουν.
That this is true is clear; for no difference signifies "what a thing is", but rather "of what quality", just as "pedestrian" and "biped".
Καὶ εἰ τὴν διαφορὰν εἰς τὸ γένος ἔθηκεν, οἷον τὸ περιττὸν ὅπερ ἀριθμόν.
And if he has placed the difference in the genus, as "odd" as "number".
Διαφορὰ γὰρ ἀριθμοῦ τὸ περιττόν, οὐκ εἶδός ἐστιν.
For "odd" is a difference of "number", not a species.
Οὐδὲ δοκεῖ μετέχειν ἡ διαφορὰ τοῦ γένους· πᾶν γὰρ τὸ μετέχον τοῦ γένους ἢ εἶδος ἢ ἄτομόν ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ διαφορὰ οὔτε εἶδος οὔτε ἄτομόν ἐστιν.
Nor is the difference held to partake of the genus; for everything that partakes of the genus is either a species or an individual, but the difference is neither a species nor an individual.
Δῆλον οὖν ὅτι οὐ μετέχει τοῦ γένους ἡ διαφορά, ὥστ᾿ οὐδὲ τὸ περιττὸν εἶδος ἂν εἴη ἀλλὰ διαφορά, ἐπειδὴ οὐ μετέχει τοῦ γένους.
It is clear, then, that the difference does not partake of the genus, so that "odd" would not be a species but a difference, since it does not partake of the genus.
Ἔτι εἰ τὸ γένος εἰς τὸ εἶδος ἔθηκεν, οἷον τὴν ἅψιν ὅπερ συνοχὴν ἢ τὴν μίξιν ὅπερ κρᾶσιν, ἢ ὡς Πλάτων ὁρίζεται φορὰν τὴν κατὰ τόπον κίνησιν.
Moreover, one must see if he has placed the genus in the species, as "contact" as "continuity", or "mixture" as "fusion", or as Plato defines "locomotion" as "motion in place".
Οὐ γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον τὴν ἅψιν συνοχὴν εἶναι, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνάπαλιν τὴν συνοχὴν ἅψιν· οὐ γὰρ πᾶν τὸ ἁπτόμενον συνέχεται, ἀλλὰ τὸ συνεχόμενον ἅπτεται.
For it is not necessary that contact should be continuity, but on the contrary, that continuity should be contact; for not everything that is in contact is continuous, but that which is continuous is in contact.
Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν· οὔτε γὰρ ἡ μίξις ἅπασα κρᾶσις (ἡ γὰρ τῶν ξηρῶν μίξις οὐκ ἔστι κρᾶσις) οὔθ᾿ ἡ κατὰ τόπον μεταβολὴ πᾶσα φορά·
Similarly also in the other cases; for neither is every mixture a fusion (for the mixture of dry things is not a fusion), nor is every change of place a locomotion.
ἡ γὰρ βάδισις οὐ δοκεῖ φορὰ εἶναι· σχεδὸν γὰρ ἡ φορὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀκουσίως τόπον ἐκ τόπου μεταβαλλόντων λέγεται, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀψύχων συμβαίνει.
For walking does not seem to be locomotion; for locomotion is said almost exclusively of things that change place involuntarily, as happens in the case of inanimate things.
Δῆλον δ᾿ ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον λέγεται τὸ εἶδος τοῦ γένους ἐν τοῖς ἀποδοθεῖσι, δέον ἀνάπαλιν γίνεσθαι.
It is clear, then, that in the assigned cases, the species is predicated of wider extent than the genus, whereas it ought to be the other way around.
Πάλιν εἰ τὴν διαφορὰν εἰς τὸ εἶδος ἔθηκεν, οἷον τὸ ἀθάνατον ὅπερ θεόν.
Again, if he has placed the difference in the species, as the "immortal" as "god".
Συμβήσεται γὰρ ἐπ᾿ ἴσης ἢ ἐπὶ πλεῖον τὸ εἶδος λέγεσθαι· ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡ διαφορὰ ἐπ᾿ ἴσης ἢ ἐπὶ πλεῖον τὸ εἶδος λέγεται.
For the result will be that the species is predicated of equal or greater extent; for the difference is always predicated of equal or greater extent than the species.
Ἔτι εἰ τὸ γένος εἰς τὴν διαφοράν, οἷον τὸ χρῶμα ὅπερ συγκριτικὸν ἢ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὅπερ περιττόν.
Moreover, if he has placed the genus in the difference, as "color" as "compressive" or "number" as "odd".
Καὶ εἰ τὸ γένος ὡς διαφορὰν εἶπεν· ἐγχωρεῖ γάρ τινα καὶ τοιαύτην κομίσαι θέσιν, οἷον κράσεως τὴν μίξιν διαφορὰν ἢ φορᾶς τὴν κατὰ τόπον μεταβολήν.
And if he has stated the genus as a difference; for it is possible to bring forward even such a thesis, as that "mixture" is the difference of "fusion", or "change of place" is the difference of "locomotion".
Σκεπτέον δὲ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν· ἐπικοινωνοῦσι γὰρ οἱ τόποι· ἐπὶ πλέον τε γὰρ τὸ γένος τῆς διαφορᾶς δεῖ λέγεσθαι, καὶ μὴ μετέχειν τῆς διαφορᾶς.
All such cases must be examined by the same principles; for the topics are shared; for the genus must be predicated of wider extent than the difference, and must not partake of the difference.
Οὕτω δ᾿ ἀποδοθέντος οὐδέτερον τῶν εἰρημένων δυνατὸν συμβαίνειν· ἐπ᾿ ἔλαττόν τε γὰρ ῥηθήσεται, καὶ μεθέξει τὸ γένος τῆς διαφορᾶς.
But when it is assigned in this way, neither of the mentioned things can happen; for the genus will be predicated of narrower extent, and it will partake of the difference.
Πάλιν εἰ μηδεμία διαφορὰ κατηγορεῖται τῶν τοῦ γένους κατὰ τοῦ ἀποδοθέντος εἴδους, οὐδὲ τὸ γένος κατηγορηθήσεται, οἷον ψυχῆς οὔτε τὸ περιττὸν οὔτε τὸ ἄρτιον κατηγορεῖται, ὥστ᾿ οὐδ᾿ ἀριθμός.
Again, if no difference of the genus is predicated of the assigned species, the genus will not be predicated either; as, for example, neither "odd" nor "even" is predicated of "soul", so that neither is "number".
Ἔτι εἰ πρότερον φύσει τὸ εἶδος καὶ συναναιρεῖ τὸ γένος· δοκεῖ γὰρ τὸ ἐναντίον.
Moreover, if the species is prior by nature and abolishes the genus along with itself; for the contrary is held to be the case.
Ἔτι εἰ ἐνδέχεται ἀπολιπεῖν τὸ εἰρημένον γένος ἢ τὴν διαφοράν, οἷον ψυχὴν τὸ κινεῖσθαι ἢ δόξαν τὸ ἀληθὲς καὶ ψεῦδος, οὐκ ἂν εἴη τῶν εἰρημένων οὐδέτερον γένος οὐδὲ διαφορά· δοκεῖ γὰρ τὸ γένος καὶ ἡ διαφορὰ παρακολουθεῖν, ἕως ἂν ᾖ τὸ εἶδος.
Moreover, if it is possible for the mentioned genus or difference to leave the species, as "motion" leaves "soul", or "truth and falsehood" leave "opinion", then neither of the mentioned things would be a genus or a difference; for the genus and the difference are held to accompany the species as long as it exists.

Notes

  1. 315τὸ ἀθάνατον γένος θεοῦ — "Immortal" (ἀθάνατον) is a difference of "living being" (ζῷον), not a genus of "god" (θεός). It points out the error of assigning a difference as a genus.
  2. 315τὸ περιττὸν ὅπερ ἀριθμόν — The phrase with ὅπερ (which is...) indicates that the set term is placed as a species belonging to a specific genus. Here, it refers to the error of placing "odd" (περιττόν), which is actually a difference of "number" (ἀριθμός), as a "species" under number.
  3. 315τὴν ἅψιν ὅπερ συνοχὴν — "Contact" (ἅψις) is a broader genus than "continuity" (συνοχή), whereas "continuity" is a species of contact. Thus, it criticizes the inversion of placing the genus (contact) under the species (continuity).
  4. 315ὡς Πλάτων ὁρίζεται φορὰν τὴν κατὰ τόπον κίνησιν — An example where Plato defines "locomotion" (φορά) as "motion in place" (κίνησις κατὰ τόπον). According to Aristotle, motion in place (genus) is broader than locomotion (species), so this definition commits the error of placing the genus in the species.
  5. 315ἐπ᾿ ἴσης ἢ ἐπὶ πλεῖον τὸ εἶδος λέγεσθαι — If a difference is placed in the species, a contradiction arises where the species is predicated of equal or greater extent than the difference. In reality, the difference must always be predicated of equal or greater extent than the species.
  6. 316ψυχῆς οὔτε τὸ περιττὸν οὔτε τὸ ἄρτιον κατηγορεῖται — Since neither "odd" nor "even" (the differences of the genus "number") is predicated of the species "soul", it shows that the genus of soul cannot be number.
  7. 316πρότερον φύσει τὸ εἶδος καὶ συναναιρεῖ τὸ γένος — In the relation of priority by nature (πρότερον φύσει), the destruction of the genus entails the destruction of the species (co-destruction, συναναιρεῖ), but not vice versa, so the genus must be prior. If the species is prior and destroys the genus, the assignment of the genus is incorrect.

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Topics §4.2#2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg044.humanitext-grc1:4.2%232

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