Single Idea 24052

[catalogued under 2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 4. Contraries]

Full Idea

One member of a pair of contraries is sufficient to discern both itself and its opposite.

Gist of Idea

From one thing alone we can infer its contrary

Source

Aristotle (De Anima [c.329 BCE], 411a02)

Book Reference

Aristotle: 'De Anima (on the psuche)', ed/tr. Reeve, C.D.C. [Hackett 2017], p.18


A Reaction

This obviously requires prior knowledge of what the opposite is. He says you can infer the crooked from the straight. You can hardly use light in isolation to infer dark [see DA 418b17]. What's the opposite of a pig?