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. And we must take as our starting-point the question
whether there is nothing that is neither always nor for the most part.
Surely this is impossible. There is, then, besides these something
which is fortuitous and accidental. But while the usual exists, can
nothing be said to be always, or are there eternal things? This must
be considered later,' but that there is no science of the accidental
is obvious; for all science is either of that which is always or of
that which is for the most part. (For how else is one to learn or to
teach another? The thing must be determined as occurring either always
or for the most part, e.g. that honey-water is useful for a patient in
a fever is true for the most part.) But that which is contrary to
the usual law science will be unable to state, i.e. when the thing
does not happen, e.g.'on the day of new moon'; for even that which
happens on the day of new moon happens then either always or for the
most part; but the accidental is contrary to such laws. We have
stated, then, what the accidental is, and from what cause it arises,
and that there is no science which deals with it.
3
That there are principles and causes which are generable and
destructible without ever being in course of being generated or
destroyed, is obvious. For otherwise all things will be of
necessity, since that which is being generated or destroyed must
have a cause which is not accidentally its cause
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