ao ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book i; 



and which philofophy was, for two centuries after the reftoration of 

 letters, the only philofophy of Europe. — But to return to the Man 

 «f Ariftotle. 



He has defined him to be " A creature of Intelled and Science only, 

 in capacity ^^^ marking in this way the progrefs of man, as well as of 

 every thing elfe on this earth, from capacity to aftuality; for every 

 thing here has firft the capacity of becoming fomething, before it is 

 adually that thing: And it is from this grand and comprehenfive 

 view of nature that Ariftotle has given us that fine definition of 

 motion, the great agent in all natural operations, which I have elfe- 

 where explained *. How much longer the progrefs in man is, front 

 mere capacity to the completion of his nature, than of any other 

 animal, 1 Ihall prefently obferve« 



As Ariftotle thinks the mind is principal in all animals-, he has 

 defined man by his mind only, and faid nothing of his body in the 

 definition, nor any where ehe, as far as I can recoiled, except in his 

 Hiftoiy of Animals, where he has told us, that man is more fitted 

 by nature to be a biped than any other animal. But from thence I 

 infei, that he did not think that he was by nature a biped f : For if he 

 had thought fo, he would not have faid that man was fitted by nature 

 to be a biped more than any other animal j that is, as I underftand the 

 words, he could become a biped more eafily than any other animal j 

 hut he would have faid plainly and fliortly, that he was by nature a 

 biped. But if he had faid fo, he would have been miftaken ; for ic 

 now appears to be certain, that man is by nature a quadrupeds 

 This 1 have proved if, by fundry inftances of favages that have been 



caughs 



* 



Vol. I. of this work, Book I, Chap. III. p. 19. 

 f Vol. I. of Origin and Progrefs of Language, p. 1 86. of fecond editioii. 

 ^ Ibidtm. 



