Aristotle - index for METAPHYSICA Book 13 Part 10 - On the separability of substance

Aristotle - index for METAPHYSICA Book 13 Part 10

On the separability of substance

Paragraph 1 Let us now mention a point which presents a certain difficulty both to those who believe in the Ideas and to those who do not, and which was stated before, at the beginning, among the problems.

Paragraph 2 If they are individual and not universal, (a) real things will be just of the same number as the elements, and (b) the elements will not be knowable.

Paragraph 3 (b) Again, the elements will not be even knowable;

Paragraph 4 But if the principles are universal, either the substances composed of them are also universal, or non-substance will be prior to substance;

Paragraph 5 All these difficulties follow naturally, when they make the Ideas out of elements and at the same time claim that apart from the substances which have the same form there are Ideas, a single separate entity.

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created 1996/11/25 modified 2009/04/26


Paragraph 1	Let us now mention a point which presents a certain difficulty both to those who believe in the Ideas and to those who do not, and which was stated before, at the beginning, among the problems.
Paragraph 2	If they are individual and not universal, (a) real things will be just of the same number as the elements, and (b) the elements will not be knowable.
Paragraph 3	(b) Again, the elements will not be even knowable;
Paragraph 4	But if the principles are universal, either the substances composed of them are also universal, or non-substance will be prior to substance;
Paragraph 5	All these difficulties follow naturally, when they make the Ideas out of elements and at the same time claim that apart from the substances which have the same form there are Ideas, a single separate entity.