ARISTOTLE 



639 b ^ 



o TTCLpajvraL Trdvres o^^^ov rovs Xoyovs avdyeiv, 



ov SteAojLtevot TToaa^oj? Aeyerat ro dvayKaXov. 

 V7Tdp)(^ei he TO fxev OLTrXojs rots' ollSlols, to S* e^ 



25 VTToOecreoj? Kal toZs ev yeviaei Trdaiv wanep iv 

 TOLS TexvaaToT? , olov oIklo, Kal tcov dXXcov otwovv 

 TCJV TOLOVTOJv. dvdyKTj Se TOidvSe ttjv vXt]v vtt- 

 dp^au el eGTai OLKia r) dXXo tl reAos" Kal yeveaOai 

 T€ Kal KLvrjOrivai Set Tohe rrpcoTOV, etra ToSe, Kal 

 TOVTOV Srj Tov Tporrov e(f)€^rjg f^^XP^ '^^^ TeXovs Kal 



30 ov eVe/ca ytVerat eKaoTov Kal eaTLV. cboravTCos Se 



640 a /cat eV TOLS (jivaei yivopievoi?. dAA* o Tpoiros Trjs 



diToSeL^ewg Kal Trjg dvdyKrj^ eTepos erri t€ ttjs 

 (f)VGLKr]9 Kal Tcbv 6ea>p7]TiKa)v e7noT7]pL(A)V . {eipr]Tat 

 S* iv eTepois rrepl tovtojv.) tj yap dpxr) toXs fxev to 

 ov, rots' Se TO eGOfievov errel yap roiopS' euTlv tj 

 6 vyieia tj 6 dvOpojiros, avdyKiq Toh^ elvai r) yeveoOai, 

 dXX ovK errel toS^ eoTLv tj yeyovev, eKelvo i^ 



" " Absolute," i.e. simple or unconditional necessity, 

 belongs to the " eternal things," such as the heavenly bodies 

 or the eternal truths of mathematics. For further details 

 see De gen. et corr. 337 b 14 if. 



" At Met. 1025 b ff. Aristotle makes a threefold classifica- 

 tion of the sciences into (a) theoretical (contemplative), 

 (6) practical, (c) productive. The result of (a) is knowledge 

 only, of (6) knowledge and action, of (c) knowledge, action, 

 and some article or product. The three " theoretical " 

 sciences are theology {i.e. metaphysics), mathematics, and 

 physics (natural science). In the present passage, however, 

 Aristotle contrasts natural science with the " theoretical " 

 sciences. This is because he is considering Nature as a 

 craftsman whose craft or science belongs to the third class — 

 the " productive " sciences. Our study of Nature's science 



58 



