ARISTOTLE 



instance which he cites bj^ way of illustration (739 b 23). 

 'Lvvi.aTdvai therefore denotes the first impact of Form 

 upon Matter, the first step in the process of actualizing 

 the potentiality of Matter. The meaning of avviardvai 

 therefore is plain enough, but there is no really con- 

 and venient English word to translate it ; and in consequence 



translation. makeshift devices have to be adopted. Sometimes I 



have used " constitute," sometimes " set," sometimes 

 " cause to take shape " ; and for avviaraaOai, which is 

 also very frequent, " set " (intransitive), " take shape," 

 " arise," etc. I decided against " composit," chiefly 

 because I found it essential to introduce the term " feta- 

 tion " for Kvrjfia {<ja'.), and as the two so often occur 

 together, the outlandish phrase " composits the feta- 

 tion " would have been frequently occurring. Never- 

 theless, it would have represented Aristotle's thought 

 much more precisely, and for that reason alone I am 

 convinced that it would have been amply justified. 

 "Organ- (55) Another possible rendering would have been " organ- 

 izers." i2e " ; and indeed " organizers " is a term which has 

 recently been introduced into embryology to denote 

 substances which are responsible for bringing about the 

 differentiation of the parts of the embryo. It is interest- 

 ing in this connexion to note that Aristotle seems to be 

 working on a similar theory in G.A. IV, viz., that there 

 is a KivTjais {i.e., a specific " movement," implying a 

 Bvvafiis or specific substance) for each part of the body, 

 which brings about its development in the embryo. 

 We should, however, note that the " organizers " are 

 not found until after impregnation is effected, whereas 

 the distinctive " movements " proper to sensitive Soul 

 are ex hypothesi already in the semen. 



" Feta- (56) This is a term which occurs very frequently in G.A. At 



tion": 728 b 34 we read that by KVTfiia is meant " the first (or 



(a) in sexual primary) mixture of male and female " ; and although 



gdneia ion , ^j^^ ^^^^^ .^ ^^^^^ often so used, it is also used by Aristotle 



to include more than this. Actually it covers all stages 



of the living creature's development from the time when 



the " matter " is first " informed " (a common phrase is 



Ixii 



