Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §24.1

Distinction Between Motion and Activity and Immobile Forms

Passage 13 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Based on the doctrine of Theophrastus, the text discusses the relationship between motion and activity, arguing that while all motion is activity, certain activities like substance and form do not involve motion, as exemplified by intelligible entities and the shape of a statue.

§24.1Fr. 24 Ἔτι δὲ δεῖ πείθεσθαι Θεοφράστῳ· τούτῳ μὲν γὰρ δοκεῖ μὴ χωρίζεσθαι τὴν κίνησιν τῆς ἐνεργείας, εἶναι δὲ τὴν μὲν κίνησιν καὶ ἐνέργειαν ὡς ἂν ἐν αὐτῇ περιεχένην, οὐκέτι μέντοι καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν κίνησιν·
Fr. 24 Further, one must agree with Theophrastus; for to him it seems that motion is not separated from activity, and that motion is indeed also an activity as if contained within it, but that activity is no longer [necessarily] motion.
τὴν γὰρ ἑκάστου οὐσίαν καὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον εἶδος ἐνέργειαν εἶναι ἑκάστου, μὴ οὖσαν ταύτην κίνησιν.
For [he holds] that the substance of each thing and its proper form is the activity of each thing, this not being motion.
Καὶ γὰρ ἡ τελειότης καὶ ἐν τοῖς νοητοῖς καὶ φύσει ἀκινήτοις εἶναι οὐ κεκώλυται.
For perfection is not prevented from being also in intelligible and naturally motionless things.
Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς πολλαὶ τοιαῦται, οἷον οἱ κατὰ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ ἀνδριάντος· ἕστηκε δὲ τὸ σχῆμα κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν τελειότητα.
And there are also many such perfections among sensible things, as for instance those in accordance with the shape of a statue; and the shape remains in accordance with the same perfection.

Notes

  1. §24.1τὴν γὰρ ἑκάστου οὐσίαν — This clause consisting of accusatives and the infinitive εἶναι is interpreted as a continuation of the indirect discourse (accusative with infinitive construction) depending on the preceding verb δοκεῖ.
  2. §24.1ὡς ἂν ἐν αὐτῇ περιεχένην — The manuscript reading περιεχένην is taken as a corruption of the feminine accusative singular participle περιεχομένην, modifying the preceding κίνησιν (motion), meaning 'as if contained in it [i.e., activity]'.
  3. §24.1οἱ κατὰ τὸ σχῆμα — The masculine plural article οἱ does not match the gender of the preceding feminine plural πολλαὶ τοιαῦται (referring to τελειότητες). It must be understood either by supplying a masculine noun like ἀνδριάντες (statues) or as a scribal error for the feminine article αἱ referring back to the perfections.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §24.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:24.1

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