(For how else is one to learn or to
teach another? The thing must be determined as occurring either always
or for the most part, e.g. that honey-water is useful for a patient in
a fever is true for the most part.) But that which is contrary to
the usual law science will be unable to state, i.e. when the thing
does not happen, e.g.'on the day of new moon'; for even that which
happens on the day of new moon happens then either always or for the
most part; but the accidental is contrary to such laws. We have
stated, then, what the accidental is, and from what cause it arises,
and that there is no science which deals with it.
3
That there are principles and causes which are generable and
destructible without ever being in course of being generated or
destroyed, is obvious. For otherwise all things will be of
necessity, since that which is being generated or destroyed must
have a cause which is not accidentally its cause. Will A exist or not?
It will if B happens; and if not, not. And B will exist if C
happens. And thus if time is constantly subtracted from a limited
extent of time, one will obviously come to the present. This man,
then, will die by violence, if he goes out; and he will do this if
he gets thirsty; and he will get thirsty if something else happens;
and thus we shall come to that which is now present, or to some past
event. For instance, he will go out if he gets thirsty; and he will
get thirsty if he is eating pungent food; and this is either the
case or not; so that he will of necessity die, or of necessity not
die.
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