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
But how is white distinguished from black? Sensation or intelligence
tell us that those things are different without informing us of their
reason; either sensation, because its function is not to set forth the
reason of things, but only to bring them somehow to our attention; or
intelligence, because it discerns things that are simple by intuition,
without having to resort to ratiocination, and limits itself to the
statement that something is such or such. Besides, in each one of the
operations of intelligence there is a difference (a special distinctive
characteristic) which enables it to distinguish different things,
without this difference (which is proper to each of the operations of
intelligence) itself having need to be discerned by the help of some
other difference.
SOME QUALITIES ARE DIFFERENCES.
Are all qualities differences, or not? Whiteness, colors, qualities
perceived by touch and taste, may become differences between different
objects, though they themselves be species. But how do the sciences
of grammar or of music constitute differences? The science of grammar
renders the mind grammatical, and the science of music renders the mind
musical, especially if they be untaught; and these thus become specific
differences. Besides, we have to consider whether a difference be drawn
from the same genus (from which the considered things are drawn), or
from some other genus. If it be drawn from the same genus, it fulfils,
for the things of this genus, the same function as does a quality to
the quality to which it serves as difference. Such are virtue and
vice; virtue is a particular habit, and vice is also a particular
habit; consequently, as habits are qualities, the differences of these
habits (either of virtue or vice) will be qualities. It may perhaps be
objected that a habit without difference is not a quality, and that it
is the difference alone which constitutes the quality.[409] We will
answer that it is (commonly) said that sweet is good, and that bitter
is bad; this then implies a recognition of their difference by a habit
(a manner of being), and not by a quality.
What if sweet be said to be "crude," or thick and bitter, thin or
refined? The answer is that coarseness does not inform us of the nature
of sweetness, but indicates a manner of being of what is sweet; and
similarly, with what is refined.
THERE ARE DIFFERENCES WHICH ARE NOT QUALITIES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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