Chapter 59

There are four distinct meanings of the term prior. Of these, the most proper is the prior in time. In the case of animate beings, this is properly called 'elder’ and with inanimate beings ‘older, but these terms are also used interchangeably, although improperly.

The second meaning is that of prior in nature. A thing having this kind of priority is implied in the positing of that to which it is prior, but its positing does not imply the other; when it is removed, the other is removed with it, but the removal of the other does not imply its removal. For example, the animal is prior to man. For, when there is an animal, although man is an animal, there will not necessarily be a man. But, if there is no man, there may still be an animal, because the horse and the dog are also animals. And if there is a man, there will necessarily be an animal, because man is an animal. If, however, there is no animal, then there will be no man at all, nor horse either, nor dog, nor anything else of the sort, because these are animals. (Thus far what concerns the second meaning.)

The third is that of prior in order, as for example, when we say that a comes first and b second, and that then come the syllables and then the whole phrases.

The fourth is that of prior in dignity, as when we say that the bishop comes first and then the priest. Some, however, reject this sense, because it is possible for the first in order to be posterior in dignity.

The fifth is as when we speak of the cause and the caused. Thus Socrates is prior to the picture of himself, because he is causative of his own picture. The father, too, is prior to and greater than the son, because the father is causative of the son, in so far as the son is begotten of the father. It is for this reason that the blessed Gregory took in this sense what was said by our Lord in the Gospels, namely, ‘the Father is greater than I.

Others add a priority in purpose, as, for example, the wall is prior to its foundations. However, this reduces to the fourth sense, which is that of priority in dignity. For, in this case, what is prior in intention is actually posterior. There are, moreover, as many kinds of posterior as there are of prior. Prior and post