Aristotle's Complete Works, Volume VII

Author: Chief Editor: Miao Litian
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-01-01
Features: Excerpt: Moreover, if the existence of "one" is not similar in all aspects, there is nothing strange about it. For if all things were water or fire or even some other such substance, nothing would prevent people from saying that the existence of "one" has multiple forms, and each form is unique, only similar to itself. Similarly, there is nothing to hinder some from being sparse and others from being dense, as long as there is no empty space in the sparse. For in the sparse, there is no void separating certain parts. Thus, one part of the whole is dense (and this already implies the sparse, forming the whole existence), and all things are equally full, though under the same conditions, some may not be as full as the dense. If it is also ungenerated and thus endowed with infinite existence, and if it does not allow one thing and another to both be infinite, then it has already imposed the existence of "one" upon it, which is impossible. For how could the whole be immovable without void? He argues that without void, there can be no motion, for the motion of all things is merely a change of place. First, many disagree with this, believing that there is some void. Of course, this is not a tangible substance, but rather, as Hesiod said in On Generation, chaos was the first to come into being, for there must be open space among existing things. This void is like a container, and we gaze around within it. And without void, what could move? Anaxagoras specifically studied this issue, contenting himself with proving its nonexistence, yet he still maintained that things in motion do not require void. Similarly, Empedocles also said that all things are in perpetual motion and mixture, yet void does not exist at all. He states, "There is nothing void in all things, where could it come from?" When things combine into a single form and thus become "one," he says, there is neither void nor fullness. For what could prevent things from being brought together, transferred from one place to another, and then into yet another place, only to return to their original place in subsequent changes, repeating this cycle endlessly? Additionally, for things that remain in the same place, their formal changes—what he calls "alterations"—such as turning white into black or sweet into bitter, according to what we have discussed earlier, nothing prevents such movements. For either void does not exist or fullness cannot be further accepted, neither of which can stop such changes. Thus, not all things are necessarily eternal or "one" or infinite, but only many things are eternal. "One" is not self-similar nor immovable; it is not so, nor are some many things so. Accepting these points, nothing in what he has said can prevent things from changing or varying; as long as all existence is "one" and in motion, differing only in quantity and quality, and as long as objects do not increase or decrease in mutual transformation, and if all things exist through mutual connection or separation. For mixtures cannot, as he said, consist of such additions or combinations, immediately followed by separation, or where, after some part is rubbed away, the remaining part shows differences from the separated part; rather, mixtures are arranged such that their parts become parts of what they are mixed with, so that they are not composed of piled-up parts but are already mixed. Thus, there are no small objects anymore, all parts mix with all other parts, and the whole is the same.
Postscript: This volume includes two essays, On Melissus, Xenophanes, and Gorgias, among others. Aristotle's Metaphysics is almost universally recognized as a cornerstone of Greek philosophy and Western culture. However, since the introduction of Western learning to China, it was not until the late 1950s that Mr. Wu Shoupeng provided a complete translation. Mr. Wu's dedication to this work is deeply admirable. In compiling the Complete Works of Aristotle, we have presented our own translation, which we believe is not superfluous. It is a common principle in the canon of classics to have multiple translations, as seen with the Heart Sutra, which, despite the presence of's translation, does not hinder the existence of six other versions, including a phonetic translation found in the Cloud Monastery in Beijing. The Metaphysics is no different; only specialists in textual criticism can tell us how many translations of it exist worldwide. In providing this translation, we have followed the principles outlined in the preface to the complete works, while also striving to use the standard terminology found in contemporary theoretical writings, without altering already established vocabulary. For example, though various schools have their own translations of the term idea, we have opted for the conventional rendering "form." Here, we dare to propose a new term to academia: "what it is," for the commonly used term "essence" cannot correspond to Aristotle's totiereinai phrase and falls short of expressing its archaic form and profound meaning. A literal translation of this phrase aligns well with another widely recognized term, to onton (as being). For this reason, we have broken the convention of avoiding lengthy notes in the complete works and included a more extensive note in this volume to explain our reasoning. In short, we aim to make the works accessible to domestic readers while offering a new perspective to China's academic community. Is this appropriate? The two sentences by Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi of Tang, "Guiding the great river of law to cleanse the dust of labor without end, passing the long flame of wisdom to illuminate the darkness with perpetual brightness," have always inspired our efforts in compiling this Complete Works. On Melissus, Xenophanes, and Gorgias is actually composed of three short essays, titled only On Xenophanes (periKsenOphanous) in Beckel's catalog. Whether this work originated from Aristotle himself or was spoken by him is a matter of debate among scholars. However, regardless of its authorship, it remains a primary source for understanding these three early Greek philosophers. To complete this manuscript, Yan Yijun devoted significant effort, not only in translating and reviewing the text but also in handling various other tasks. Other members of the translation team, such as Yu Jiyuan, Qin Dianhua, Xu Kailai, Li Qiuling, Yu Yang, Shen Ming, and Cui Yanqiang, also contributed to the translation in different ways. Finally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated individuals at the China University of Political Science and Law for their efforts in bringing this book to publication. November 1991