Thus the relation of present process to past event is
analogous to that of line to point, since a process contains an
infinity of past events. These questions, however, must receive a more
explicit treatment in our general theory of change.
The following must suffice as an account of the manner in which
the middle would be identical with the cause on the supposition that
coming-to-be is a series of consecutive events: for in the terms of
such a series too the middle and major terms must form an immediate
premiss; e.g. we argue that, since C has occurred, therefore A
occurred: and C's occurrence was posterior, A's prior; but C is the
source of the inference because it is nearer to the present moment,
and the starting-point of time is the present. We next argue that,
since D has occurred, therefore C occurred. Then we conclude that,
since D has occurred, therefore A must have occurred; and the cause is
C, for since D has occurred C must have occurred, and since C has
occurred A must previously have occurred.
If we get our middle term in this way, will the series terminate
in an immediate premiss, or since, as we said, no two events are
'contiguous', will a fresh middle term always intervene because
there is an infinity of middles? No: though no two events are
'contiguous', yet we must start from a premiss consisting of a
middle and the present event as major.
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