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on sophistical refutations-第13部分
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neither good nor evil。 Also; since everything is the same as itself
and different from anything else; inasmuch as the man who answers
double questions simply can be made to say that several things are
'the same' not as other things but 'as themselves'; and also that they
are different from themselves; it follows that the same things must be
both the same as and different from themselves。 Moreover; if what is
good becomes evil while what is evil is good; then they must both
become two。 So of two unequal things each being equal to itself; it
will follow that they are both equal and unequal to themselves。
Now these refutations fall into the province of other solutions as
well: for 'both' and 'all' have more than one meaning; so that the
resulting affirmation and denial of the same thing does not occur;
except verbally: and this is not what we meant by a refutation。 But it
is clear that if there be not put a single question on a number of
points; but the answerer has affirmed or denied one attribute only
of one subject only; the absurdity will not come to pass。
31
With regard to those who draw one into repeating the same thing a
number of times; it is clear that one must not grant that predications
of relative terms have any meaning in abstraction by themselves;
e。g。 that 'double' is a significant term apart from the whole phrase
'double of half' merely on the ground that it figures in it。 For ten
figures in 'ten minus one' and in 'not do'; and generally the
affirmation in the negation; but for all that; suppose any one were to
say; 'This is not white'; he does not say that it is white。 The bare
word 'double'; one may perhaps say; has not even any meaning at all;
any more than has 'the' in 'the half': and even if it has a meaning;
yet it has not the same meaning as in the combination。 Nor is
'knowledge' the same thing in a specific branch of it (suppose it;
e。g。 to be 'medical knowledge') as it is in general: for in general it
was the 'knowledge of the knowable'。 In the case of terms that are
predicated of the terms through which they are defined; you should say
the same thing; that the term defined is not the same in abstraction
as it is in the whole phrase。 For 'concave' has a general meaning
which is the same in the case of a snub nose; and of a bandy leg;
but when added to either substantive nothing prevents it from
differentiating its meaning; in fact it bears one sense as applied
to the nose; and another as applied to the leg: for in the former
connexion it means 'snub' and in the latter 'bandyshaped'; i。e。 it
makes no difference whether you say 'a snub nose' or 'a concave nose'。
Moreover; the expression must not be granted in the nominative case:
for it is a falsehood。 For snubness is not a concave nose but
something (e。g。 an affection) belonging to a nose: hence; there is
no absurdity in supposing that the snub nose is a nose possessing
the concavity that belongs to a nose。
32
With regard to solecisms; we have previously said what it is that
appears to bring them about; the method of their solution will be
clear in the course of the arguments themselves。 Solecism is the
result aimed at in all arguments of the following kind: 'Is a thing
truly that which you truly call it?' 'Yes'。 'But; speaking of a stone;
you call him real: therefore of a stone it follows that 〃him is
real〃。' No: rather; talking of a stone means not saying which' but
'whom'; and not 'that' but 'him'。 If; then; any one were to ask; 'Is a
stone him whom you truly call him?' he would be generally thought
not to be speaking good Greek; any more than if he were to ask; 'Is he
what you call her?' Speak in this way of a 'stick' or any neuter word;
and the difference does not break out。 For this reason; also; no
solecism is incurred; suppose any one asks; 'Is a thing what you say
it to be?' 'Yes'。 'But; speaking of a stick; you call it real:
therefore; of a stick it follows that it is real。' 'Stone'; however;
and 'he' have masculine designations。 Now suppose some one were to
ask; 'Can 〃he〃 be a she〃 (a female)?'; and then again; 'Well; but is
not he Coriscus?' and then were to say; 'Then he is a 〃she〃;' he has
not proved the solecism; even if the name 'Coriscus' does signify a
'she'; if; on the other hand; the answerer does not grant this: this
point must be put as an additional question: while if neither is it
the fact nor does he grant it; then the sophist has not proved his
case either in fact or as against the person he has been
questioning。 In like manner; then; in the above instance as well it
must be definitely put that 'he' means the stone。 If; however; this
neither is so nor is granted; the conclusion must not be stated:
though it follows apparently; because the case (the accusative);
that is really unlike; appears to be like the nominative。 'Is it
true to say that this object is what you call it by name?' 'Yes'。 'But
you call it by the name of a shield: this object therefore is 〃of a
shield〃。' No: not necessarily; because the meaning of 'this object' is
not 'of a shield' but 'a shield': 'of a shield' would be the meaning
of 'this object's'。 Nor again if 'He is what you call him by name';
while 'the name you call him by is Cleon's'; is he therefore
'Cleon's': for he is not 'Cleon's'; for what was said was that 'He;
not his; is what I call him by name'。 For the question; if put in
the latter way; would not even be Greek。 'Do you know this?' 'Yes。'
'But this is he: therefore you know he'。 No: rather 'this' has not the
same meaning in 'Do you know this?' as in 'This is a stone'; in the
first it stands for an accusative; in the second for a nominative
case。 'When you have understanding of anything; do you understand it?'
'Yes。' 'But you have understanding of a stone: therefore you
understand of a stone。' No: the one phrase is in the genitive; 'of a
stone'; while the other is in the accusative; 'a stone': and what
was granted was that 'you understand that; not of that; of which you
have understanding'; so that you understand not 'of a stone'; but 'the
stone'。
Thus that arguments of this kind do not prove solecism but merely
appear to do so; and both why they so appear and how you should meet
them; is clear from what has been said。
33
We must also observe that of all the arguments aforesaid it is
easier with some to see why and where the reasoning leads the hearer
astray; while with others it is more difficult; though often they
are the same arguments as the former。 For we must call an argument the
same if it depends upon the same point; but the same argument is apt
to be thought by some to depend on diction; by others on accident; and
by others on something else; because each of them; when worked with
different terms; is not so clear as it was。 Accordingly; just as in
fallacies that depend on ambiguity; which are generally thought to
be the silliest form of fallacy; some are clear even to the man in the
street (for humorous phrases nearly all depend on diction; e。g。 'The
man got the cart down from the stand'; and 'Where are you bound?'
'To the yard arm'; and 'Which cow will calve afore?' 'Neither; but
both behind;' and 'Is the North wind clear?' 'No; indeed; for it has
murdered the beggar and the merchant。〃 Is he a Good enough…King?' 'No;
indeed; a Rob…son': and so with the great majority of the rest as
well); while others appear to elude the most expert (and it is a
symptom of this that they often fight about their terms; e。g。
whether the meaning of 'Being' and 'One' is the same in all their
applications or different; for some think that 'Being' and 'One'
mean the same; while others solve the argument of Zeno and
Parmenides by asserting that 'One' and 'Being' are used in a number of
senses); likewise also as regards fallacies of Accident and each of
the other types; some of the arguments will be easier to see while
others are more difficult; also to grasp to which class a fallacy
belongs; and whether it is a refutation or not a refutation; is not
equally easy in all cases。
An incisive argument is one which produces the greatest
perplexity: for this is the one with the sharpest fang。 Now perplexity
is twofold; one which occurs in reasoned arguments; respecting which
of the propositions asked one is to demolish; and the other in
contentious arguments; respecting the manner in which one is to assent
to what is propounded。 Therefore it is in syllogistic arguments that
the more incisive ones produce the keenest heart…searching。 Now a
syllogistic argument is most incisive if from premisses that are as
generally accepted as possible it demolishes a conclusion that is
accepted as generally as possible。 For the one argument; if the
contradictory is changed about; makes all the resulting syllogisms
alike in character: for always from premisses that are generally
accepted it will prove a conclusion; negative or positive as the
case may be; that is just as generally accepted; and therefore one
is bound to feel perplexed。 An argument; then; of this kind is the
most incisive; viz。 the one that puts its conclusion on all fours with
the propositions asked; and second comes the one that argues from
premisses; all of which are equally convincing: for this will
produce an equal perplexity as to what kind of premiss; of those
asked; one should demolish。 Herein is a difficulty: for one must
demolish something; but what one must demolish is uncertain。 Of
contentious arguments; on the other hand; the most incisive is the one
which; in t
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