For in a
sense fire is an element (and doubtless also 'the indefinite' or
something else of the sort is by its own nature the element), but in a
sense it is not; for it is not the same thing to be fire and to be
an element, but while as a particular thing with a nature of its own
fire is an element, the name 'element' means that it has this
attribute, that there is something which is made of it as a primary
constituent. And so with 'cause' and 'one' and all such terms. For
this reason, too, 'to be one' means 'to be indivisible, being
essentially one means a "this" and capable of being isolated either in
place, or in form or thought'; or perhaps 'to be whole and
indivisible'; but it means especially 'to be the first measure of a
kind', and most strictly of quantity; for it is from this that it
has been extended to the other categories. For measure is that by
which quantity is known; and quantity qua quantity is known either
by a 'one' or by a number, and all number is known by a 'one'.
Therefore all quantity qua quantity is known by the one, and that by
which quantities are primarily known is the one itself; and so the one
is the starting-point of number qua number. And hence in the other
classes too 'measure' means that by which each is first known, and the
measure of each is a unit-in length, in breadth, in depth, in
weight, in speed. (The words 'weight' and 'speed' are common to both
contraries; for each of them has two meanings-'weight' means both that
which has any amount of gravity and that which has an excess of
gravity, and 'speed' both that which has any amount of movement and
that which has an excess of movement; for even the slow has a
certain speed and the comparatively light a certain weight.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253