Chap. I. A N T I E N T METAPHYSICS. 3^7 



ftating it again ipxthis obvious and familiar manner, as it is the foun- 

 dation of all philofophy, and particularly of this metaphyfical philo- 

 fophy, which is the fcience, not o^ generals only, but of wiiverfals.- — 

 But 1 now return to the proper fubjedl of this chapter, which is con- 

 cerning the nature of this univerfal knowledge that v/e acquire by the 

 fludy of the categories. 



A general fcience of this kind, it is manifeft, will not fit a man for 

 the pra6tice of any particular art, or of the great art or life, without 

 the knowledge of more particular arts and fciences, and without that 

 obfervation and experience which is abfolutely neceffary for acquiring 

 the knowledge of individuals ; for it is of thefe, as 1 have obferved, 

 that practice confifts. But it is the knowledge of a philofopher ; who 

 knows nothing worthy of that name, if he does not know the caufes, 

 and ihtjirjl caufes, too, of all things. And it is not only the know- 

 ledge of the higheli kind, but a knowledge that may be very ufeful, 

 when brought down to the practice of life, and joined with expe- 

 rience. 



Further, the fecond part of this univerfal knowledge, of which I 

 am now to treat, viz. the dodrine of the highelf ^^«^r^, or Cni} formal 

 caufes of all things, is abfolutely neceHary for perfect fcience or de- 

 monftration of every kind; fo that, without it, no man can be faid to 

 be perfedly learned in any one particular art or fcience. The reafon 

 of which is, that there can be no fcience without definition, nor any 

 perfe(5t definition, without the knowledge of thefe higheft genera. 



For underftanding of this, we muft be fo far logicians, as to know 

 the diftindtion of genus andjpeciesy and that every definition confilU of 

 the fpecific diff^ereuce and the genus ; that is, the general ide;;, ct m- 

 prehending the thing defined. Thus, in the definition of riicur the 

 fpecific difference is rational^ and capable of hit elk tl andjcience \ and 



the 



