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1、PHYSICSbyAristotletranslatedbyR.P.HardieandR.K.GayeBookI1WHENtheobjectsofaninquiry,inanydepartment,haveprinciples,conditions,orelements,itisthroughacquaintancewiththesethatknowledge,thatistosayscientificknowledge,isattained.Forwedonotthinkthatweknowathinguntilweareac
2、quaintedwithitsprimaryconditionsorfirstprinciples,andhavecarriedouranalysisasfarasitssimplestelements.PlainlythereforeinthescienceofNature,asinotherbranchesofstudy,ourfirsttaskwillbetotrytodeterminewhatrelatestoitsprinciples.Thenaturalwayofdoingthisistostartfromtheth
3、ingswhicharemoreknowableandobvioustousandproceedtowardsthosewhichareclearerandmoreknowablebynature;forthesamethingsarenot'knowablerelativelytous'and'knowable'withoutqualification.Sointhepresentinquirywemustfollowthismethodandadvancefromwhatismoreobscurebynature,butcl
4、earertous,towardswhatismoreclearandmoreknowablebynature.Nowwhatistousplainandobviousatfirstisratherconfusedmasses,theelementsandprinciplesofwhichbecomeknowntouslaterbyanalysis.Thuswemustadvancefromgeneralitiestoparticulars;foritisawholethatisbestknowntosense-percepti
5、on,andageneralityisakindofwhole,comprehendingmanythingswithinit,likeparts.Muchthesamethinghappensintherelationofthenametotheformula.Aname,e.g.'round',meansvaguelyasortofwhole:itsdefinitionanalysesthisintoitsparticularsenses.Similarlyachildbeginsbycallingallmen'father
6、',andallwomen'mother',butlaterondistinguisheseachofthem.2Theprinciplesinquestionmustbeeither(a)oneor(b)morethanone.If(a)one,itmustbeeither(i)motionless,asParmenidesandMelissusassert,or(ii)inmotion,asthephysicistshold,somedeclaringairtobethefirstprinciple,otherswater.
7、If(b)morethanone,theneither(i)afiniteor(ii)aninfiniteplurality.If(i)finite(butmorethanone),theneithertwoorthreeorfourorsomeothernumber.If(ii)infinite,theneitherasDemocritusbelievedoneinkind,butdifferinginshapeorform;ordifferentinkindandevencontrary.Asimilarinquiryism
8、adebythosewhoinquireintothenumberofexistents:fortheyinquirewhethertheultimateconstituentsofexistingthingsareoneormany,andifmany,whe
