(By distinguishing the fact of the connexion and the existence of
the thing as respectively the partial and the unqualified being of the
thing, I mean that if we ask 'does the moon suffer eclipse?', or 'does
the moon wax?', the question concerns a part of the thing's being; for
what we are asking in such questions is whether a thing is this or
that, i.e. has or has not this or that attribute: whereas, if we ask
whether the moon or night exists, the question concerns the
unqualified being of a thing.)
We conclude that in all our inquiries we are asking either whether
there is a 'middle' or what the 'middle' is: for the 'middle' here
is precisely the cause, and it is the cause that we seek in all our
inquiries. Thus, 'Does the moon suffer eclipse?' means 'Is there or is
there not a cause producing eclipse of the moon?', and when we have
learnt that there is, our next question is, 'What, then, is this
cause? for the cause through which a thing is-not is this or that,
i.e. has this or that attribute, but without qualification is-and
the cause through which it is-not is without qualification, but is
this or that as having some essential attribute or some accident-are
both alike the middle'.
Pages:
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112