It is a common characteristic of all substance that it is never present
in a subject. For primary substance is neither present in a subject nor
predicated of a subject; while, with regard to secondary substances, it
is clear from the following arguments (apart from others) that they are
not present in a subject. For 'man' is predicated of the individual
man, but is not present in any subject: for manhood is not present in
the individual man. In the same way, 'animal' is also predicated of the
individual man, but is not present in him. Again, when a thing is
present in a subject, though the name may quite well be applied to that
in which it is present, the definition cannot be applied. Yet of
secondary substances, not only the name, but also the definition,
applies to the subject: we should use both the definition of the
species and that of the genus with reference to the individual man.
Thus substance cannot be present in a subject.
Yet this is not peculiar to substance, for it is also the case that
differentiae cannot be present in subjects. The characteristics
'terrestrial' and 'two-footed' are predicated of the species 'man', but
not present in it. For they are not in man. Moreover, the definition of
the differentia may be predicated of that of which the differentia
itself is predicated. For instance, if the characteristic 'terrestrial'
is predicated of the species 'man', the definition also of that
characteristic may be used to form the predicate of the species 'man':
for 'man' is terrestrial.
The fact that the parts of substances appear to be present in the
whole, as in a subject, should not make us apprehensive lest we should
have to admit that such parts are not substances: for in explaining the
phrase 'being present in a subject', we stated' that we meant
'otherwise than as parts in a whole'.