Page:O. F. Owen's Organon of Aristotle Vol. 2 (1853).djvu/125

 away? In what way then the thing is, is hard to explain, but we must use (this place) in all such things as may be expedient. For instance, that the definition of phlegm is, the first unconcocted moisture from food, for there is one first, not many, so that the addition of unconcocted is superfluous, since when this is taken away, what remains will be the proper definition, since it is impossible that this and something else, should be the first (moisture) arising from food. Or shall we say that phlegm is not simply the first thing from food, but the first of things unconcocted, so that unconcocted must be added, for if it is stated in that way the definition will not be true, since it is not the first of all things.

Moreover, (we must examine) whether some one of the things in the definition, is not present with all those under the same species, since such is defined worse than they do, who use that which is present with all substances. For in that way the remainder would be the proper definition, and the whole would be proper; since, in short, if any thing true is added to property, the whole (definition) becomes proper. If however something of those in the definition is not present with all those under the same species, it is impossible that the whole definition should be proper, since it will not be reciprocally predicated of the thing, e. g. an animal pedestrian biped of four cubits, for such a definition is not reciprocally predicated of the thing, from four cubits not being present with all those, which are under the same species.

Again, whether the same thing is frequently stated, as he who says, that desire is the appetite of the pleasant, for all desire is of the pleasant; wherefore what is the same with desire will also be of the pleasant, the definition then of desire is the appetite of the pleasant, for there is no difference between saying desire or the appetite of the pleasant, so that each of these will belong to the pleasant. Or is it that this