Then if B, failure to produce shadows in spite of the absence
of an intervening body, is attributable A to C, and eclipse, is
attributable to B, it is clear that the moon is eclipsed, but the
reason why is not yet clear, and we know that eclipse exists, but we
do not know what its essential nature is. But when it is clear that
A is attributable to C and we proceed to ask the reason of this
fact, we are inquiring what is the nature of B: is it the earth's
acting as a screen, or the moon's rotation or her extinction? But B is
the definition of the other term, viz. in these examples, of the major
term A; for eclipse is constituted by the earth acting as a screen.
Thus, (1) 'What is thunder?' 'The quenching of fire in cloud', and (2)
'Why does it thunder?' 'Because fire is quenched in the cloud', are
equivalent. Let C be cloud, A thunder, B the quenching of fire. Then B
is attributable to C, cloud, since fire is quenched in it; and A,
noise, is attributable to B; and B is assuredly the definition of
the major term A. If there be a further mediating cause of B, it
will be one of the remaining partial definitions of A.
We have stated then how essential nature is discovered and becomes
known, and we see that, while there is no syllogism-i.
Pages:
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130