Note 74 — Chapter VIII · ANALYTICA POSTERIORA II.

The passages respecting ἀρχαὶ or principia, in the Nikomachean Ethica (especially Books I. and VI.), are instructive as to Aristotle’s views. The principia are universal notions and propositions, not starting up ready-made nor as original promptings of the intellect, but gradually built up out of the particulars of sense and Induction, and repeated particular acts. They are judged and sanctioned by Νοῦς or Intellect, but it requires much care to define them well. They belong to the ὅτι, while demonstration belongs to the διότι. Eth. Nik. I. vii. p. 1098, a. 33: οὐκ ἀπαιτητέον δ’ οὐδὲ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐν ἅπασιν ὁμοίως, ἀλλ’ ἱκανὸν ἔν τισι τὸ ὅτι δειχθῆναι καλῶς, οἷον καὶ περὶ τὰς ἀρχάς· τὸ δ’ ὅτι πρῶτον καὶ ἀρχή. τῶν ἀρχῶν δ’ αἱ μὲν ἐπαγωγῇ θεωροῦνται, αἱ δ’ αἰσθήσει, αἱ δ’ ἐθισμῷ τινι, καὶ ἄλλαι δ’ ἀλλῶς. μετιέναι δὲ πειρατέον ἑκάστας ᾗ πεφύκασιν, καὶ σπουδαστέον ὅπως ὁρισθῶσι καλῶς· μεγάλην γὰρ ἔχουσι ῥοπὴν πρὸς τὰ ἑπόμενα.

Compare Eth. Nik. VI. iii. p. 1139, b. 25, where the Analytica is cited by name — ἡ μὲν δὴ ἐπαγωγὴ ἀρχή ἐστι καὶ τοῦ καθόλου, ὁ δὲ συλλογισμὸς ἐκ τῶν καθόλου· εἰσὶν ἄρα ἀρχαὶ ἐξ ὧν ὁ συλλογισμός, ὧν οὔκ ἐστι συλλογισμός· ἐπαγωγὴ ἄρα. — ib. p. 1141, a. 7: λείπεται νοῦν εἶναι τῶν ἀρχῶν. — p. 1142, a. 25: ὁ μὲν γὰρ νοῦς τῶν ὅρων, ὧν οὔκ ἐστι λόγος. — p. 1143, b. 1.