Τί
something
Translated by Marcelo Boeri10 Dec 2003Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
The Stoics lay down the 'something' as the genus of the existent: for it is obvious that 'something' is also existent. And if it is existent, it would accept the definitional account of the existent. This is why they also say that it [i.e. 'something'] is the most generic, and it is predicated not only of bodies but also of incorporeals.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Τί· οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Στοᾶς τοῦτο τὸ τί γένος τοῦ ὄντος τίθενται· τὸ γὰρ τί δῆλον ὅτι καὶ ὄν. εἰ δὲ ὄν, τὸν τοῦ ὄντος ἀναδέχοιτο ἂν λόγον. διὸ καὶ γενικώτερον αὐτό φασιν εἶναι, κατηγορούμενον οὐ κατὰ σωμάτων μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ κατ' ἀσωμάτων.
Betacode
*ti/: oi( a)po\ th=s *stoa=s tou=to to\ ti/ ge/nos tou= o)/ntos ti/qentai: to\ ga\r ti/ dh=lon o(/ti kai\ o)/n. ei) de\ o)/n, to\n tou= o)/ntos a)nade/xoito a)\n lo/gon. dio\ kai\ genikw/teron au)to/ fasin ei)=nai, kathgorou/menon ou) kata\ swma/twn mo/non a)lla\ kai\ kat' a)swma/twn.
Notes
- This entry is largely taken (with some variations and omissions) from Alexander of Aphrodisias, Commentaries on Aristotle's Topica 301.19-25 Hayduck. Alexander is commenting on the Stoic doctrine of 'something' (
ti/ ), the highest genus including both bodies and incorporeals (time, place, sayables, and void; Sextus Empiricus, Adversus Mathematicos 10.218). In their ontological distinctions the Stoics made corporeality the essential criterion for the existent, or what is 'real' (o)/n ). For the Stoics the incorporeals also are included under the highest genus 'something', since they are 'somethings' which, albeit non-existent in a strict sense, are subsistent (see Sextus, Adv. Math. 9.212; Stobaeus, Eclogae I 106.5-23, where the distinction 'existent'o)/n vs. 'subsistent'u(fista/menon is explained in detail).
References
Boeri, M.D. “The Stoics on Bodies and Incorporeals”, The Review of Metaphysics 54 (2001) 723-752
Long, A.A., Sedley, D.N., The Hellenistic Philosophers Cambridge 1987 (2 vols; see section 27)
Long, A.A., Sedley, D.N., The Hellenistic Philosophers Cambridge 1987 (2 vols; see section 27)
Neighbouring entries
Revision history5 revisions · last 28 Oct 2014
- added a keyword — Catharine Roth
- tweaks — Catharine Roth
- coding — Catharine Roth
- Revised — David Whitehead
- cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Marcelo Boeri