Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3: In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four PeriodsPlotinus
Philosophy
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3: In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four Periods
Plotinus
Plotinus
How then is multitude classified among relatives? It forms part of
relatives in that multitude is an extension of number, while its
contrary is a contraction. Likewise is it with continuous dimension; we
conceive of it as prolonged. Quantity therefore has a double origin:
progression of unity, and of the point. If either progression cease
promptly, the first one produces "little," and the second, "small."
If both be prolonged, they produce "much," and "large." What then is
the limit that determines these things? The same question may be asked
about the beautiful, and about warmth; for there is also "warmer";
only, the latter is a relative, while Warm, taken absolutely, is a
quality. As there is a "reason" of the beautiful (a reason that would
produce and determine the beautiful), likewise there must be a reason
for the Great, a reason by participation in which an object becomes
great, as the reason of the Beautiful makes beautiful. Such are the
things for which quantity admits contraries.
THERE IS NO CONTRARY FOR PLACE.
For space, there is no contrary, because strictly space does not belong
to the genus of quantity. Even if space were part of quantity, "high"
would not be the contrary of anything unless the universe contained
also "low." The terms high and low, applied to parts, signify only
higher and lower than something else. It is so also with right and
left, which are relatives.
CLASSIFICATION OF SYLLABLES AND SPEECH.
Syllables and speech are quantitatives; they might be subjects in
respect to quantity, but only so by accident. Indeed, the voice, by
itself, is a movement,[386] it must therefore be reduced to movement
and action.
DISCRETE QUANTITY QUITE DISTINCT FROM CONTINUOUS QUANTITY.
13. We have already explained that discrete quantity is clearly
distinguished from continuous quantity, both by its own definition, and
the general definition (for quantity).[387] We may add that numbers are
distinguished from each other by being even and odd. If besides there
be other differences amidst the even and odd numbers, these differences
will have to be referred to the objects in which are the numbers, or to
the numbers composed of unities, and not any more to those which exist
in sense-beings. If reason separate sense-things from the numbers they
contain, nothing hinders us then from attributing to these numbers the
same differences (as to the numbers composed of unities).[388]
ELEMENTS OF CONTINUOUS QUANTITY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account