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Single Idea 627

[filed under theme 2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 5. Opposites ]

Full Idea

If all things are composed of opposites, how can the things of which the opposites are made be composed of opposites?

Gist of Idea

If everything is made of opposites, are the opposed things made of opposites?

Source

Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1075a23)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Metaphysics', ed/tr. Lawson-Tancred,Hugh [Penguin 1998], p.386

A Reaction

A nice warning against being too simplistic in metaphysics.

The 5 ideas with the same theme [concepts held to be totally opposed to each other]:

416 Beautiful harmony comes from things that are in opposition to one another [Heraclitus]
425 A thing can have opposing tensions but be in harmony, like a lyre [Heraclitus]
232 Opposites are as unlike as possible [Plato]
627 If everything is made of opposites, are the opposed things made of opposites? [Aristotle]
628 Not everything is composed of opposites; what, for example, is the opposite of matter? [Aristotle]