1
Dialectica sive Capita philosophica (recensio brevior)
Another chapter. The genus is divided into species; the genus is above, and the species are below. It is impossible for the genus not to have species below it, it is impossible for the species not to have a genus above them, just as it is impossible for a father not to have a son and impossible for a son not to have a father; the genus holds the rank of a father, and the species that of a son. When the genus is divided into species, it is necessary for the species to receive both the name and the complete definition of their genus. But the genus does not in every case admit the definition of the species, nor do the species admit the definition of one another. The common name of all beings is 'being'. A 'being' is either a self-subsistent thing, not needing another for its constitution but having its existence in itself, such as a body, or a thing not able to exist in itself but having its existence in another, such as color. 'Being' is divided into substance and accident. Substance is a self-subsistent thing, not needing another for its constitution but having its existence in itself, such as the body. Accident is a thing that is not able to have its existence in itself but has its existence in another, such as color; for the body is not in the color, but the color is in the body, nor is it said 'the body of the color' but 'the color of the body'. The substance does not change, but the accident changes; for the body does not change, but the color changes. Therefore, neither substance nor accident receives the complete definition of 'being', but substance one half and accident the other half. For this reason, neither is 'being' a genus, nor are substance and accident species. The most general genus is the first genus, which, being a genus, is not a species because it does not have another genus above it. The most specific species is the last species, which, being a species, is not a genus because it does not have other species below it. Those between the most general genus and the most specific species are called subordinate genera and species, because they have a genus above them and species below them. The subordinate genera and species are the constitutive and essential and natural differences and qualities. For these constitute the most specific species; for from the genus and from them the most specific species are constituted. Those below receive all those above them, those above do not in every case receive those below them. The Fathers called the most specific species 'substance' and 'nature' and 'form', and those divided from the most specific species, that is, those below it, 'individual' and 'hypostasis' and 'person'. The genus is one, but under one genus are two species divided against each other, for example, substance is a genus. This is divided into two species, into corporeal and incorporeal; these are called species divided against each other. The vain philosophers outside [the Church] call the hypostasis the first, particular substance, the most specific species, that is, the nature, the second, common substance, the most general genus the third, more universal substance. Therefore, those who follow them are compelled to speak of four substances in the case of the Holy Trinity, three particular and one common. When in the same nature a thing and its contrary are observed, these are accidents, for example, in the nature of man, whiteness and blackness, grey-eyed and black-eyed, long and short, sickness and health, and such things. But when a thing is observed, and it is impossible for its contrary to be observed, this is natural, for example, the rational is observed in man, but the irrational cannot be observed in man. The natural is called an essential property, the accidental is called a non-essential property. The
1
Dialectica sive Capita philosophica (recensio brevior)
Ἕτερον κεφάλαιον. Τὸ γένος διαιρεῖται εἰς εἴδη· τὸ γένος ἐπάνω ἐστίν, τὰ δὲ εἴδη ὑποκάτω. Ἀδύνατον τὸ γένος μὴ ἔχειν ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ εἴδη, ἀδύνατον τὰ εἴδη μὴ ἔχειν ἐπάνω αὐτῶν γένος, ὥσπερ ἀδύνατον πατέρα μὴ ἔχειν υἱὸν καὶ ἀδύνατον υἱὸν μὴ ἔχειν πατέρα· τὸ γένος πατρὸς τάξιν ἐπέχει, τὸ δὲ εἶδος υἱοῦ. Ὅτε τὸ γένος διαιρεθῇ εἰς εἴδη, ἀνάγκη τὰ εἴδη δέξασθαι καὶ τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τέλειον τὸν ὅρον τοῦ γένους αὐτῶν. Τὸ δὲ γένος οὐ πάντως ἐπιδέχεται τὸν ὅρον τῶν εἰδῶν οὐδὲ τὰ εἴδη τὸν ὅρον ἀλλήλων. Κοινὸν ὄνομα πάντων τῶν ὄντων ἐστὶ τὸ ὄν. Ὄν ἐστιν ἢ πρᾶγμα αὐθύπαρκτον μὴ δεόμενον ἑτέρου πρὸς σύστασιν ἀλλ' ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχον τὸ εἶναι, οἷον σῶμα, ἢ πρᾶγμα μὴ δυνάμενον ἐν ἑαυτῷ εἶναι ἀλλ' ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἔχον τὴν ὕπαρξιν, οἷον χρῶμα. Τὸ ὂν διαιρεῖται εἰς οὐσίαν καὶ συμβεβηκός. Οὐσία ἐστὶ πρᾶγμα αὐθύπαρκτον μὴ δεόμενον ἑτέρου πρὸς σύστασιν ἀλλ' ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχον τὸ εἶναι, οἷον τὸ σῶμα. Συμβεβηκός ἐστι πρᾶγμα τὸ μὴ δυνάμενον ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχειν τὸ εἶναι ἀλλ' ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἔχον τὴν ὕπαρξιν, οἷον τὸ χρῶμα· οὐ γάρ ἐστι τὸ σῶμα ἐν τῷ χρώματι ἀλλὰ τὸ χρῶμα ἐν τῷ σώματι οὐδὲ λέγεται τὸ σῶμα τοῦ χρώματος ἀλλὰ τὸ χρῶμα τοῦ σώματος. Ἡ οὐσία οὐ μεταβάλλεται, τὸ δὲ συμβεβηκὸς μεταβάλλεται· τὸ μὲν γὰρ σῶμα οὐ μεταβάλλεται, τὸ δὲ χρῶμα μεταβάλλεται. Οὔτε οὖν ἡ οὐσία οὔτε τὸ συμβεβηκὸς δέχεται τέλειον τὸν ὅρον τοῦ ὄντος, ἀλλ' ἡ οὐσία τὸ ἥμισυ καὶ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς τὸ ἥμισυ. ∆ιὸ οὔτε τὸ ὄν ἐστι γένος οὔτε ἡ οὐσία καὶ τὸ συμβεβηκὸς εἴδη. Γενικώτατον γένος ἐστὶ τὸ πρῶτον γένος, ὅπερ γένος ὂν οὐκ ἔστιν εἶδος διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ ἄλλο γένος. Εἰδικώτατον εἶδός ἐστι τὸ ἔσχατον εἶδος, ὅπερ εἶδος ὂν οὐκ ἔστι γένος διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ ἄλλα εἴδη. Τὰ μεταξὺ τοῦ γενικωτάτου γένους καὶ τοῦ εἰδικωτάτου εἴδους λέγονται γένη καὶ εἴδη ὑπάλληλα, διότι ἔχουσιν ἐπάνω αὐτῶν γένος καὶ ὑποκάτω αὐτῶν εἴδη. Τὰ ὑπάλληλα γένη καὶ εἴδη εἰσὶν αἱ συστατικαὶ καὶ οὐσιώδεις καὶ φυσικαὶ διαφοραὶ καὶ ποιότητες. Αὗται γὰρ συνιστῶσιν τὰ εἰδικώτατα εἴδη· ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ γένους καὶ αὐτῶν συνίστανται τὰ εἰδικώτατα εἴδη. Τὰ ὑποκάτω δέχονται ὅλα τὰ ἐπάνω αὐτῶν, τὰ ἐπάνω οὐ πάντως δέχονται τὰ ὑποκάτω αὐτῶν. Οἱ πατέρες τὸ εἰδικώτατον εἶδος ἐκάλεσαν οὐσίαν καὶ φύσιν καὶ μορφήν, τὰ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ εἰδικωτάτου εἴδους διαιρούμενα ἤγουν τὰ ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ ἄτομον καὶ ὑπόστασιν καὶ πρόσωπον. Τὸ μὲν γένος ἕν ἐστι, καθ' ἓν δὲ γένος δύο εἴδη ἀντιδιαιρούμενα, οἷον ἡ οὐσία γένος. Αὕτη διαιρεῖται εἰς δύο εἴδη, εἰς σῶμα καὶ ἀσώματον· ταῦτα λέγονται ἀντιδιαιρούμενα εἴδη. Οἱ ἔξω ματαιόσοφοι πρώτην οὐσίαν μερικὴν λέγουσι τὴν ὑπόστασιν, δευτέραν οὐσίαν κοινὴν τὸ εἰδικώτατον εἶδος ἤγουν τὴν φύσιν, τρίτην οὐσίαν καθολικωτέραν τὸ γενικώτατον γένος. Οἱ οὖν τούτοις ἑπόμενοι ἀναγκάζονται ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος τέσσαρας οὐσίας λέγειν, τρεῖς μερικὰς καὶ μίαν κοινήν. Ὅτε ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ φύσει θεωρεῖται πρᾶγμα καὶ τὸ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ταῦτα συμβεβηκότα εἰσίν, οἷον ἐν τῇ φύσει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου λευκότης καὶ μελανότης, γλαυκόφθαλμον καὶ μελανόφθαλμον, μακρὸν καὶ κολοβόν, νόσος καὶ ὑγίεια, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. Ὅτε δὲ θεωρεῖται πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἀδύνατον τὸ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ θεωρεῖσθαι, τοῦτο φυσικόν ἐστιν, οἷον τὸ λογικὸν θεωρεῖται ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, τὸ δὲ ἄλογον οὐκ ἐνδέχεται θεωρηθῆναι ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ. Τὸ φυσικὸν λέγεται οὐσιῶδες ἰδίωμα, τὸ συμβεβηκὸς λέγεται ἐπουσιῶδες ἰδίωμα. Τὰ