登陆注册
15680900000010

第10章

Those things are called relative, which, being either said to be of something else or related to something else, are explained by reference to that other thing.For instance, the word 'superior' is explained by reference to something else, for it is superiority over something else that is meant.Similarly, the expression 'double' has this external reference, for it is the double of something else that is meant.So it is with everything else of this kind.There are, moreover, other relatives, e.g.habit, disposition, perception, knowledge, and attitude.The significance of all these is explained by a reference to something else and in no other way.Thus, a habit is a habit of something, knowledge is knowledge of something, attitude is the attitude of something.So it is with all other relatives that have been mentioned.Those terms, then, are called relative, the nature of which is explained by reference to something else, the preposition 'of' or some other preposition being used to indicate the relation.Thus, one mountain is called great in comparison with son with another; for the mountain claims this attribute by comparison with something.Again, that which is called similar must be similar to something else, and all other such attributes have this external reference.It is to be noted that lying and standing and sitting are particular attitudes, but attitude is itself a relative term.To lie, to stand, to be seated, are not themselves attitudes, but take their name from the aforesaid attitudes.

It is possible for relatives to have contraries.Thus virtue has a contrary, vice, these both being relatives; knowledge, too, has a contrary, ignorance.But this is not the mark of all relatives; 'double' and 'triple' have no contrary, nor indeed has any such term.

It also appears that relatives can admit of variation of degree.For 'like' and 'unlike', 'equal' and 'unequal', have the modifications 'more' and 'less' applied to them, and each of these is relative in character: for the terms'like' and 'unequal' bear 'unequal' bear a reference to something external.Yet, again, it is not every relative term that admits of variation of degree.No term such as 'double' admits of this modification.All relatives have correlatives: by the term 'slave' we mean the slave of a master, by the term 'master', the master of a slave; by 'double', the double of its hall; by 'half', the half of its double; by 'greater', greater than that which is less; by 'less,' less than that which is greater.

So it is with every other relative term; but the case we use to express the correlation differs in some instances.Thus, by knowledge we mean knowledge the knowable; by the knowable, that which is to be apprehended by knowledge; by perception, perception of the perceptible; by the perceptible, that which is apprehended by perception.

Sometimes, however, reciprocity of correlation does not appear to exist.This comes about when a blunder is made, and that to which the relative is related is not accurately stated.If a man states that a wing is necessarily relative to a bird, the connexion between these two will not be reciprocal, for it will not be possible to say that a bird is a bird by reason of its wings.The reason is that the original statement was inaccurate, for the wing is not said to be relative to the bird qua bird, since many creatures besides birds have wings, but qua winged creature.If, then, the statement is made accurate, the connexion will be reciprocal, for we can speak of a wing, having reference necessarily to a winged creature, and of a winged creature as being such because of its wings.

Occasionally, perhaps, it is necessary to coin words, if no word exists by which a correlation can adequately be explained.If we define a rudder as necessarily having reference to a boat, our definition will not be appropriate, for the rudder does not have this reference to a boat qua boat, as there are boats which have no rudders.Thus we cannot use the terms reciprocally, for the word 'boat' cannot be said to find its explanation in the word 'rudder'.As there is no existing word, our definition would perhaps be more accurate if we coined some word like 'ruddered' as the correlative of 'rudder'.If we express ourselves thus accurately, at any rate the terms are reciprocally connected, for the 'ruddered' thing is 'ruddered' in virtue of its rudder.So it is in all other cases.A head will be more accuratelydefined as the correlative of that which is 'headed', than as that of an animal, for the animal does not have a head qua animal, since many animals have no head.

Thus we may perhaps most easily comprehend that to which a thing is related, when a name does not exist, if, from that which has a name, we derive a new name, and apply it to that with which the first is reciprocally connected, as in the aforesaid instances, when we derived the word 'winged' from 'wing' and from 'rudder'.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 格兰特和李将军的领导力

    格兰特和李将军的领导力

    本书从作战的角度纵览了1864年陆路战役的全貌,对格兰特和李作为领导者所面对的挑战进行了非常有趣且实用的分析还描述了使两位将军成功的素质、技巧和方法,并且巧妙地把他们的经验转化为“领导力教程”。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 卦相乾坤

    卦相乾坤

    相传民间遗落的上古羊皮卷记载:“泰禹山之变:始三又七年,神相子韩湘三次南巡寻永生之法,时过五载,五月丙寅时,匿踪于泰禹山之中,不知所踪;有言神相子得道升天,若得其手卷便获得长生之法。”时过一千五百多年,于南,海里七十八,有一小岛,名为桃花岛,其岛主获得神相子行踪的残卷,但要想寻匿神相子的踪迹,他不得不请相术高超的人一同前往,乾无求便是他所认识的相师,功力了得。
  • 逾期久候

    逾期久候

    她本以为她很幸福,她拥有很多人羡慕不来的东西,闻名的家世,从小到大的好姐妹,青梅竹马的好朋友,和在她八岁那年进入她家的他。她本以为自己拥有了一切,直到那个女人闯入她平静的生活,揭开了他的秘密。她才知道那些所谓的暧昧都是利用,为了达到他的目的而不折手段。此去经年之后,她失去了一切,朋友的背叛,青梅竹马离开,心里唯一剩下的执念又是什么?当恨与爱折磨着自己的时候,阴谋忽然降临,一步步揭开那些真相之后,等待着她的又是什么………
  • 万域之尊

    万域之尊

    一将功成万骨枯!一切罪恶之根本,皆因人类的欲念而起!
  • 天启魔师

    天启魔师

    在遥远的天启大陆,有一群特殊的职业者,他们拥有至高无上的魔力,拥有威力强大的魔兽,他们高兴时可让仙女散花,他们愤怒时可让山崩地裂。他们便是——天启魔师。有这样一个少年,他从小便梦想着成为最为强大的天启魔师。只是残酷的现实却告诉他,他并没有魔魂,而没有魔魂的人,是不可能成为天启魔师的。少年的梦原本即将残破,可是,风云际会却让他与曾经大陆上的第一强者相遇,或许是命运的指引,这少年得到了第一强者的全部魔力,于是,少年的命运发生了改变……
  • 帝女归来:邪王宠妻无度

    帝女归来:邪王宠妻无度

    她,是上帝最完美的作品,却没有人的七情六欲.万年前,她降临世界,她淡看世间一切,却也终是为情所伤。背叛的来临让她最后的那丝情,殇......万年过后,王者归来【残魂归,帝星先!天下归一,七界共存!】—————————————上一世,用真心换来背叛,这一世,他们血债血偿!她这一世本打算在人世外停留,,,可又是谁用那情网把她带到其中,不是逃不掉,而是.....他说:丫头,我说过这辈子不会再像前世那样纵容你了......那个代价太大,我,承受不起。那种痛,经历一次就好。她说:我不管上一世怎样,这一世。我,就是我.....别让我失望,有些伤,经历一次就好。宠文一对一,绝对身心干净,男强女强!
  • 不灭邪主

    不灭邪主

    绝情剑尊君文,一代雄主,却因一桩陈年旧案而牵扯,卷入无穷无尽的追杀,但最终寡不敌众,乃至功力耗尽,难以为继,身死道消。一朝醒转,发现重生三百年前的凡世,而过往那些凝固的记忆,一一醒转。这一世,他不想在做一个绝情之圣的剑尊,而要纵情驰骋天下,要像阿三哥那样潇洒的邪主。万派千宗,为吾折腰;回首宇内,唯吾双雄!列位,诸君与吾一道,目标是星辰大海……对不起诸君。因为内签事件,已经转移,创世正式停更。
  • 王源感谢遇见你

    王源感谢遇见你

    王源我很感谢能遇见你,无论最后的最后是什么样的结局,我都会笑着面对,因为你说过我的笑有治愈性,喜欢我的笑。
  • 新叶罗丽精灵梦:洛缨

    新叶罗丽精灵梦:洛缨

    亲情、友情、爱情,一个个都离她而去,她无奈,只好嘲笑自己用情太深,等到另一个她出现的时候,却又抵不过他那句“回来吧...”