John of Damascus, Dialectic Fuller Recension

the meaning of "potentially," for it is able to burn, but in actuality it is not burning, but the first meaning of "in actuality"; -fifth, as the final actuality, like vision that is already seeing and heat that is already heating. Privation is the loss of possession. Therefore, opposed to the first meaning of possession is the privation of armor, that is, of a garment, -to the second, the loss of acquired possessions, as when what has been heated is cooled; - to the third, that which the genus is not at all naturally suited to have, as we say an infant has an aptitude for music, but a fig-tree not at all. Therefore the fig-tree is deprived, since the genus of plants does not have an aptitude for receiving music. And that which the genus has an aptitude for, but one of the species does not have; for the animal has an aptitude for seeing, but the mole, being a species of animal, does not have an aptitude for seeing; -to the fourth, the loss of the potentiality which is according to possession; -to the fifth, the loss of the final actuality, which he mentioned above as the opposition of opposites according to privation and possession, that is, of a potentiality, whether active or passive; and this is characterized by these three things: that which it is naturally suited to have but does not have at all, but is completely deprived of, and when it is naturally suited to have it, and where it is naturally suited to have it. For example, we do not say a stone is blind, for it is not naturally suited to have the possession of sight; nor do we say a newborn puppy is blind, nor a newborn infant toothless, since they are not naturally suited to have them at that time; nor do we say the foot is blind, for the animal is not naturally suited to have the possession of sight in the foot. When therefore it is naturally suited to have something according to these three criteria and does not have it, it is called privation. 60 On prior and posterior. "Prior" is divided into four meanings. And most properly, there is what is prior in time. It is properly said of animate things as "older," and of inanimate things as "more ancient"; but they are also used improperly and interchangeably. -second, what is prior by nature, which is implied by another, but does not imply it, and which destroys along with itself but is not destroyed along with it, as "animal" is prior to "man"; for if an animal does not exist, neither will a man exist, for man is an animal. But if a man does not exist, an animal will exist, for both the horse and the dog are animals; and if a man exists, an animal will certainly exist, for man is an animal. But if an animal exists, it is not certainly a man, but perhaps a horse, or a dog; for these too are animals. -third, what is according to order, just as we say first is a, second is b, then the syllables, then the votes. -fourth, what is according to worth, as we say: first the bishop, then the presbyter. Some, however, reject this mode; for it is possible for the first in order to be later in worth. - fifth, as we say of the cause and the effect, as Socrates is prior to his own image; for he himself is the cause of his own image. And the father is prior to and greater than the son; for the father is the cause of the son, for the son is begotten of the father. For which reason also the blessed Gregory took the saying of our Lord in the holy gospels according to this meaning: "My Father is greater than I." Others add what is according to conception, as the wall is prior to the foundations. But this is reduced to the fourth mode, that according to worth; for what is prior in conception is posterior in reality. In as many ways as there is a "prior," in so many ways there is also a "posterior." "Prior" and "posterior" and "more" and "less" are not homonyms but are derived from one. 61 On "at the same time." "At the same time" is said, in the proper sense, of things whose generation is in the same time, for instance two people born in the same instant. This mode is opposed to the first mode of the meanings of "prior." The second meaning of "at the same time" is things which co-exist with each other and are not cause or effect of each other, like "double" and "half"; for they co-exist at the same time and mutually destroy and imply one another. And this mode is opposed to the second and fifth mode of "prior"; for in the second they do not mutually imply or mutually destroy one another, while in the fifth one is cause and the other effect. The third meaning of "at the same time" is species which are counter-divided; and counter-divided

σημαινόμενον τοῦ δυνάμει, δύναται γὰρ καίειν, ἐνεργείᾳ δὲ οὐ καίει, πρῶτον δὲ σημαινόμενον τοῦ ἐνεργείᾳ· -πέμπτον ὡς ἡ τελικὴ ἐνέργεια ὡς ἡ ὅρασις ἡ ἤδη ὁρῶσα καὶ ἡ θερμότης ἡ ἤδη θερμαίνουσα. Στέρησις δὲ τῆς ἕξεως ἀποβολή. Ἀντίκειται οὖν τῷ μὲν πρώτῳ σημαινομένῳ τῆς ἕξεως ἡ στέρησις τοῦ ὅπλου ἤγουν τοῦ ἐνδύματος, -τῷ δὲ δευτέρῳ ἡ ἀποβολὴ τῶν ἐπεισάκτων ἕξεων, ὅτε τὸ θερμανθὲν ψυχρανθῇ· - τῷ τρίτῳ, ὅπερ οὐδὲ ὅλως πέφυκεν ἔχειν τὸ γένος, ὡς λέγομεν ἔχειν ἐπιτηδειότητα τὸ βρέφος πρὸς μουσικήν, τὴν δὲ συκῆν οὐδαμῶς. Ἐστέρηται οὖν ἡ συκῆ, ἐπειδὴ τὸ γένος τῶν φυτῶν οὐκ ἔχει ἐπιτηδειότητα δέξασθαι μουσικήν. Καὶ ὅπερ τὸ μὲν γένος ἔχει ἐπιτηδειότητα, τὶ δὲ τῶν εἰδῶν οὐκ ἔχει· τὸ γὰρ ζῷον ἔχει ἐπιτηδειότητα ὁρᾶν, ὁ δὲ ἀσπάλαξ εἶδος ὢν τοῦ ζῴου οὐκ ἔχει ἐπιτηδειότητα τοῦ ὁρᾶν· -τῷ δὲ τετάρτῳ ἡ ἀποβολὴ τῆς δυνάμεως τῆς καθ' ἕξιν· -τῷ δὲ πέμπτῳ ἡ ἀποβολὴ τῆς τελικῆς ἐνεργείας, ὅπερ ἀνωτέρω εἴρηκε τὴν κατὰ στέρησιν καὶ ἕξιν τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἀντίθεσιν ἤγουν τῆς δυνάμεως εἴτε τῆς ποιητικῆς εἴτε τῆς παθητικῆς· αὕτη δὲ χαρακτηρίζεται τοῖς τρισὶ τούτοις, ὅπερ πέφυκεν ἔχειν οὐδὲ ὅλως δὲ ἔχει, ἀλλὰ τελείως ἐστέρηται, καὶ ὅτε πέφυκεν ἔχειν, καὶ ἔνθα πέφυκεν ἔχειν. Οἷον τὸν λίθον οὐ λέγομεν εἶναι τυφλόν, οὐ πέφυκε γὰρ ἔχειν ἕξιν ὁράσεως· οὐδὲ τὸν ἀρτιγέννητον κύνα λέγομεν εἶναι τυφλὸν οὐδὲ τὸ ἀρτιγέννητον βρέφος νωδόν, ἐπειδὴ οὐ πεφύκασι κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἔχειν· οὐδὲ τὸν πόδα λέγομεν τυφλόν, οὐ γὰρ πέφυκε τὸ ζῷον ἐν τῷ ποδὶ ἔχειν τὴν ἕξιν τῆς ὁράσεως. Ὅτε οὖν κατὰ τὰ τρία ταῦτα πέφυκεν ἔχειν καὶ μὴ ἔχει, λέγεται στέρησις. 60 Περὶ προτέρου καὶ ὑστέρου. Τὸ δὲ πρότερον διαιρεῖται εἰς τέσσαρα σημαινόμενα. Καὶ κυριώτατόν ἐστι τὸ τῷ χρόνῳ πρότερον. Λέγεται δὲ κυρίως ἐπὶ μὲν ἐμψύχων τὸ πρεσβύτερον, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἀψύχων τὸ παλαιότερον· καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ἀντ' ἀλλήλων λαμβάνονται. -δεύτερον δὲ τὸ φύσει πρότερον, ὅπερ συνεισφέρεται μέν, οὐ συνεισφέρει δέ, καὶ συναναιρεῖ καὶ οὐ συναναιρεῖται ὡς τὸ ζῷον πρότερον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· ζῴου γὰρ μὴ ὄντος οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος ἔσται, ζῷον γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος. Ἀνθρώπου δὲ μὴ ὄντος ἔσται ζῷον, καὶ ὁ ἵππος γὰρ καὶ ὁ κύων ζῷά εἰσι· καὶ ἀνθρώπου ὄντος πάντως ἔσται ζῷον, ζῷον γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος. Ζῴου δὲ ὄντος οὐ πάντως ἄνθρωπος ἀλλ' ἴσως ἵππος, κύων· καὶ ταῦτα γὰρ ζῷά εἰσι. -τρίτον τὸ κατὰ τάξιν, ὥσπερ φαμὲν πρῶτον τὸ ˉα, δεύτερον τὸ ˉβ, εἶτα τὰ συλλάβια, εἶτα αἱ ψῆφοι. -τέταρτον τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν, ὥς φαμεν· πρῶτον ἐπίσκοπος, εἶτα πρεσβύτερος. Ἐκβάλλουσι δὲ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον τινές· ἐνδέχεται γὰρ τὸν πρῶτον κατὰ τάξιν ὕστερον εἶναι κατ' ἀξίαν. - πέμπτον, ὥς φαμεν τὸ αἴτιον καὶ αἰτιατόν, ὡς ὁ Σωκράτης πρότερος τῆς ἰδίας εἰκόνος· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν αἴτιος τῆς ἰδίας εἰκόνος. Καὶ ὁ πατὴρ πρότερος καὶ μείζων τοῦ υἱοῦ· ὁ γὰρ πατήρ ἐστιν αἴτιος τοῦ υἱοῦ, ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς ὁ υἱὸς γεννᾶται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Γρηγόριος κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σημαινόμενον ἔλαβε τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς εὐαγγελίοις ῥηθέν· «Ὁ πατήρ μου μείζων μού ἐστιν.» Ἄλλοι δὲ προστιθέασι τὸ κατ' ἐπίνοιαν, ὡς πρότερον τῶν θεμελίων τὸν τοῖχον. Τοῦτο δὲ ἀνάγεται ὑπὸ τὸν τέταρτον τρόπον, τὸν κατ' ἀξίαν· τὸ γὰρ τῇ ἐπινοίᾳ πρότερον, τοῦτο τῷ πράγματι ὕστερον. Ὁσαχῶς δὲ τὸ πρότερον, τοσαυταχῶς καὶ τὸ ὕστερον. Τὸ δὲ πρότερον καὶ τὸ ὕστερον καὶ τὸ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον οὔκ εἰσι τῶν ὁμωνύμων ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀφ' ἑνός. 61 Περὶ τοῦ ἅμα. Ἅμα λέγεται κυρίως μέν, ὧν ἡ γένεσις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ χρόνῳ, οἷον δύο τινὲς ἐγεννήθησαν ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ ῥοπῇ. Οὗτος ὁ τρόπος ἀντίκειται τῷ πρώτῳ τρόπῳ τῶν σημαινομένων τοῦ προτέρου. ∆εύτερον σημαινόμενον τῶν ἅμα τὰ ἀλλήλοις συνυπάρχοντα καὶ μὴ ὄντα ἕτερον ἑτέρου αἴτιον ἢ αἰτιατὸν ὡς τὸ διπλάσιον καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ· ἅμα γὰρ συνυπάρχουσι καὶ συναναιροῦσιν ἄλληλα καὶ συνεισφέρουσιν. Οὗτος δὲ ὁ τρόπος ἀντίκειται τῷ δευτέρῳ καὶ τῷ πέμπτῳ τρόπῳ τοῦ προτέρου· ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ δευτέρῳ οὐ συνεισάγουσιν οὐδὲ συναναιροῦσιν ἄλληλα, ἐν δὲ τῷ πέμπτῳ τὸ μὲν αἴτιον, τὸ δὲ αἰτιατόν. Τρίτον σημαινόμενον τῶν ἅμα τὰ ἀντιδιῃρημένα εἴδη· ἀντιδιῃρημένα δὲ