Jewish philosophy -- Early works to 1800; Judaism -- Works to 1900; Philosophy, Medieval -- Early works to 1800
Motion implies change and transition from potentiality to actuality.
Proposition VI.
The motion of a thing is either essential or accidental; or it is due
to an external force, or to the participation of the thing in the
motion of another thing. This latter kind of motion is similar to the
accidental one. An instance of essential motion may be found in the
translation of a thing from one place to another. The accident of a
thing, as, e.g., its black colour, is said to move when the thing
itself changes its place. The upward motion of a stone, owing to a
force applied to it in that direction, is an instance of a motion due
to an external force. The motion of a nail in a boat may serve to
illustrate motion due to the participation of a thing in the motion of
another thing; for when the boat moves, the nail is said to move
likewise. The same is the case with everything composed of several
parts: when the thing itself moves, every part of it is likewise said
to move.
Proposition VII.
Things which are changeable are, at the same time, divisible. Hence
everything that moves is divisible, and consequently corporeal; but
that which is indivisible cannot move, and cannot therefore be
corporeal.
Proposition VIII.
A thing that moves accidentally must come to rest, because it does not
move of its own accord; hence accidental motion cannot continue for
ever.
Proposition IX.
A corporeal thing that sets another corporeal thing in motion can only
effect this by setting itself in motion at the time it causes the other
thing to move.
Proposition X.
A thing which is said to be contained in a corporeal object must
satisfy either of the two following conditions: it either exists
through that object, as is the case with accidents, or it is the cause
of the existence of that object; such is, e.g., its essential property.
In both cases it is a force existing in a corporeal object.
Proposition XI.
Among the things which exist through a material object, there are some
which participate in the division of that object, and are therefore
accidentally divisible, as, e.g., its colour, and all other qualities
that spread throughout its parts. On the other hand, among the things
which form the essential elements of an object, there are some which
cannot be divided in any way, as, e.g., the soul and the intellect.
Proposition XII.
A force which occupies all parts of a corporeal object is finite, that
object itself being finite.
Proposition XIII.
None of the several kinds of change can be continuous, except motion
from place to place, provided it be circular.
Proposition XIV.
Locomotion is in the natural order of the several kinds of motion the
first and foremost. For genesis and corruption are preceded by
transformation, which, in its turn, is preceded by the approach of the
transforming agent to the object which is to be transformed. Also,
increase and decrease are impossible without previous genesis and
corruption.
Proposition XV.
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