Works - 1, pt. 1 Author:Aristotle Volume: 1, pt. 1 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1812 Original Publisher: Printed for the translator by R. Wilks Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial ... more »access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: INTRODUCTION. IHE design of Aristotle's Categories, says Simplicius, appears to have been a subject of doubt to many of his interpreters. For that he speaks about ten certain simple things, which they call the most universal genera is evident. Some however say that these are words ; that the intention of Aristotle is to speak of simple terms; and that this treatise is the first part of logic. Hence, say they, as the treatise immediately subsequent to this, On Propositions, is concerning composite words, and not concerning things, thus also the present treatise, since it is concerning the parts of a proposition, will consist in the discussion of words. Others however refute this opinion. Tor say they, it is not the business of a philosopher to make words the subject of his contemplation, but rather of a grammarian who considers the passive qualities, formations, properties, and formula; of words. - Hence they assert that the intention of Aristotle in this treatise is to discuss things which are signified by words. In opposition to this opinion however, it must be observed, that this treatise is a part of logic, and that to consider beings so far as they are beings belongs to metaphysies, and is entirely the province of the first philosophy. Again, others assert that Aristotle's design, is neither to discuss significant words, nor things signified, but simple conceptions, because he here speaks of ten genera; and since these are of posterior origin, and are the conceptions of the mind, he may be very properly said to make concep...« less