For as the brazen sphere comes to be, but not the sphere
nor the brass, and so too in the case of brass itself, if it comes
to be, it is its concrete unity that comes to be (for the matter and
the form must always exist before), so is it both in the case of
substance and in that of quality and quantity and the other categories
likewise; for the quality does not come to be, but the wood of that
quality, and the quantity does not come to be, but the wood or the
animal of that size. But we may learn from these instances a
peculiarity of substance, that there must exist beforehand in complete
reality another substance which produces it, e.g. an animal if an
animal is produced; but it is not necessary that a quality or quantity
should pre-exist otherwise than potentially.
10
Since a definition is a formula, and every formula has parts,
and as the formula is to the thing, so is the part of the formula to
the part of the thing, the question is already being asked whether the
formula of the parts must be present in the formula of the whole or
not. For in some cases the formulae of the parts are seen to be
present, and in some not. The formula of the circle does not include
that of the segments, but that of the syllable includes that of the
letters; yet the circle is divided into segments as the syllable is
into letters.-And further if the parts are prior to the whole, and the
acute angle is a part of the right angle and the finger a part of
the animal, the acute angle will be prior to the right angle and
finger to the man.
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