By that which is without qualification I
mean the subject, e.g. moon or earth or sun or triangle; by that which
a subject is (in the partial sense) I mean a property, e.g. eclipse,
equality or inequality, interposition or non-interposition. For in all
these examples it is clear that the nature of the thing and the reason
of the fact are identical: the question 'What is eclipse?' and its
answer 'The privation of the moon's light by the interposition of
the earth' are identical with the question 'What is the reason of
eclipse?' or 'Why does the moon suffer eclipse?' and the reply
'Because of the failure of light through the earth's shutting it out'.
Again, for 'What is a concord? A commensurate numerical ratio of a
high and a low note', we may substitute 'What ratio makes a high and a
low note concordant? Their relation according to a commensurate
numerical ratio.' 'Are the high and the low note concordant?' is
equivalent to 'Is their ratio commensurate?'; and when we find that it
is commensurate, we ask 'What, then, is their ratio?'.
Cases in which the 'middle' is sensible show that the object of
our inquiry is always the 'middle': we inquire, because we have not
perceived it, whether there is or is not a 'middle' causing, e.
Pages:
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113