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1、350BCMETAPHYSICSbyAristotleTranslatedbyR.P.HardieandR.K.GayeBookI1WHENtheobjectsofaninquiry,inanydepartment,haveprinciples,conditions,orelements,itisthroughacquaintancewiththesethatknowledge,thatistosayscientificknowledge,isattained.Forwedonotthinkthatweknowath
2、inguntilweareacquaintedwithitsprimaryconditionsorfirstprinciples,andhavecarriedouranalysisasfarasitssimplestelements.PlainlythereforeinthescienceofNature,asinotherbranchesofstudy,ourfirsttaskwillbetotrytodeterminewhatrelatestoitsprinciples.Thenaturalwayofdoingt
3、hisistostartfromthethingswhicharemoreknowableandobvioustousandproceedtowardsthosewhichareclearerandmoreknowablebynature;forthesamethingsarenot'knowablerelativelytous'and'knowable'withoutqualification.Sointhepresentinquirywemustfollowthismethodandadvancefromwhat
4、ismoreobscurebynature,butclearertous,towardswhatismoreclearandmoreknowablebynature.Nowwhatistousplainandobviousatfirstisratherconfusedmasses,theelementsandprinciplesofwhichbecomeknowntouslaterbyanalysis.Thuswemustadvancefromgeneralitiestoparticulars;foritisawho
5、lethatisbestknowntosense-perception,andageneralityisakindofwhole,comprehendingmanythingswithinit,likeparts.Muchthesamethinghappensintherelationofthenametotheformula.Aname,e.g.'round',meansvaguelyasortofwhole:itsdefinitionanalysesthisintoitsparticularsenses.Simi
6、larlyachildbeginsbycallingallmen'father',andallwomen'mother',butlaterondistinguisheseachofthem.2Theprinciplesinquestionmustbeeither(a)oneor(b)morethanone.If(a)one,itmustbeeither(i)motionless,asParmenidesandMelissusassert,or(ii)inmotion,asthephysicistshold,somed
7、eclaringairtobethefirstprinciple,otherswater.If(b)morethanone,theneither(i)afiniteor(ii)aninfiniteplurality.If(i)finite(butmorethanone),theneithertwoorthreeorfourorsomeothernumber.If(ii)infinite,theneitherasDemocritusbelievedoneinkind,butdifferinginshapeorform;
8、ordifferentinkindandevencontrary.Asimilarinquiryismadebythosewhoinquireintothenumberofexistents:fortheyinquirewhethertheultimateconstituentsofexistingthingsareoneormany,andi
