Aristotle - index for METAPHYSICA Book 3 Part 3

6-7: general and principles

Paragraph 1 (6) Apart from the great difficulty of stating the case truly with regard to these matters, it is very hard to say, with regard to the first principles, whether it is the genera that should be taken as elements and principles, or rather the primary constituents of a thing;

Paragraph 2 To judge from these arguments, then, the principles of things would not be the genera;

Paragraph 3 But, again, it is not possible to describe the principles in both ways.

Paragraph 4 (7) Besides this, even if the genera are in the highest degree principles, should one regard the first of the genera as principles, or those which are predicated directly of the individuals?

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


Paragraph 1	(6) Apart from the great difficulty of stating the case truly with regard to these matters, it is very hard to say, with regard to the first principles, whether it is the genera that should be taken as elements and principles, or rather the primary constituents of a thing;
Paragraph 2	To judge from these arguments, then, the principles of things would not be the genera;
Paragraph 3	But, again, it is not possible to describe the principles in both ways.
Paragraph 4	(7) Besides this, even if the genera are in the highest degree principles, should one regard the first of the genera as principles, or those which are predicated directly of the individuals?