ITS TECHNICAL FORMS. . d 



their natural motions downwards; but besides these motions, there is 

 motion in a circle, which is unnatural to these elements, but which is 

 a more perfect motion than the other, because a circle is a perfect line, 

 ancl a straight line is not ; and there must be something to which this 

 motion is natural. From this it is evident," he adds, with obvious 

 animation, " that there is some essence of body different from those of 

 the four elements, more divine than those, and superior to them. I/ 

 things which move in a circle move contrary to nature, it is marvel 

 lous, or rather absurd, that this, the unnatural motion, should alone be 

 continuous and eternal ; for unnatural motions decay speedily. And 

 so, from all this, we must collect, that besides the four elements which 

 we have here and about us, there is another removed far off, and the 

 more excellent in proportion as it is more distant from us." This fifth 

 element was the " quintet essentia" of after writers, of which we have a 

 trace in our modern literature, in the word quintessence. 



Sect. 3. Technical Forms of the Greek Schools. 



WE have hitherto considered only the principle of the Greek Physics ; 

 which was, as we have seen, to deduce its doctrines by an analysis of 

 the notions which common lano-uage involves. But though the Grecian 



o o ^ 



philosopher began by studying words in their common meanings, he 

 soon found himself led to fix upon some special shades or applicatious 

 of these meanings as the permanent and standard notion, which they 

 were to express ; that is, he made his language technical. The inven- 

 tion and establishment of technical terms is an important step in any 

 philosophy, true or false ; we must, therefore, say a few words on this 

 process, as exemplified in the ancient systems. 



1. Technical Forms of the Aristotelian Philoso}^. We have 

 already had occasion to cite some of the distinctions introduced by 

 Aristotle, which may be considered as technical ; for instance, the 

 classification of Causes as material, formal, efficient, and. final ; and the 

 opposition of Qualities as absolute and relative. A few more of the 

 most important examples may suffice. An analysis of objects into 

 Matter and Form, when metaphorically extended from visible objects 

 to things conceived in the most general manner, became an habitual 

 hypothesis of the Aristotelian school. Indeed this metaphor is even 

 yet one of the most significant of those which \ve can employ, to sug- 

 gest one of the most comprehensive and fundamental antitheses -with 

 which philosophy has to do ; the opposition of sense and reason, of 



