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Aristotle - Metaphysics
Atec Февраль 16 2008 19:57:08
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5
As all potencies are either innate, like the senses, or come by
practice, like the power of playing the flute, or by learning, like
artistic power, those which come by practice or by rational formula we
must acquire by previous exercise but this is not necessary with those
which are not of this nature and which imply passivity.
Since that which is 'capable' is capable of something and at
some time in some way (with all the other qualifications which must be
present in the definition), and since some things can produce change
according to a rational formula and their potencies involve such a
formula, while other things are nonrational and their potencies are
non-rational, and the former potencies must be in a living thing,
while the latter can be both in the living and in the lifeless; as
regards potencies of the latter kind, when the agent and the patient
meet in the way appropriate to the potency in question, the one must
act and the other be acted on, but with the former kind of potency
this is not necessary. For the nonrational potencies are all
productive of one effect each, but the rational produce contrary
effects, so that if they produced their effects necessarily they would
produce contrary effects at the same time; but this is impossible.
There must, then, be something else that decides; I mean by this,
desire or will. For whichever of two things the animal desires
decisively, it will do, when it is present, and meets the passive
object, in the way appropriate to the potency in question
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