Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §51.1

Plausibility of Physics and Limits of Human Inquiry

Passage 41 of 196 · Greek

Summary

The passage discusses how Plato and Aristotle regarded the study of nature as plausible rather than strictly demonstrative, yet argues that we should not disparage it, but rather be content with what fits human capacity, a view shared by Theophrastus.

§51.1Fr. 51 Καλῶς ὁ Πλάτων τὴν φυσιολογίαν εἰκοτολογίαν ἔλεγεν εἶναι, ᾧ καὶ Ἀριστοτέλης συμμαρτυρεῖ, τὴν κυρίως ἀπόδειξιν ἐξ ἀμέσων καὶ ἀξιοπίστων ἀρχῶν καὶ ἐκ τῶν κυρίως αἰτίων καὶ τῇ φύσει προτέρων εἶναι βουλόμενος.
Plato rightly said that the study of nature is a plausible account, to which Aristotle also bears witness, wishing that proper demonstration should derive from immediate and credible principles, and from causes that are proper and prior by nature.
Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀτιμαστέον διὰ τοῦτο φυσιολογίαν, ἀλλʼ ἀρκεῖσθαι χρὴ τῷ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν χρῆσιν καὶ δύναμιν ὡς καὶ Θεοφράστῳ δοκεῖ.
But one must not on this account disparage the study of nature, but must be content with what is according to our use and capacity, as it also seems to Theophrastus.

Notes

  1. Fr. 51ᾧ — Dative relative pronoun, referring back to Plato's statement (or Plato himself). It is in the dative because the verb συμμαρτυρεῖ (to bear witness with, agree with) governs the dative case.
  2. Fr. 51τὴν κυρίως ἀπόδειξιν ... εἶναι — Accusative with infinitive construction acting as the object of the participle βουλόμενος. The infinitive εἶναι, combined with the prepositional phrases ἐξ... and ἐκ..., means 'to derive from' or 'to consist of,' specifying the conditions for proper demonstration.
  3. Fr. 51ἀτιμαστέον — Neuter singular of the verbal adjective, used impersonally with the negative οὐκ to express necessity ('one must not disparage'). It takes the accusative φυσιολογίαν as its grammatical object.
  4. Fr. 51τῷ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν χρῆσιν καὶ δύναμιν — The neuter singular article τῷ is substantivized by the prepositional phrase, meaning 'that which is according to our use and capacity.' It is in the dative as the object of the verb ἀρκεῖσθαι (to be content with).

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §51.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:51.1

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