This must also be considered: how quantity is a category distinct from quality and substance, notwithstanding that no quantity may be a thing really distinct from part of a thing, from substance and quality, which can be declared in a similar way according to the statements of many Catholic doctors; for, as has often been said, relation is a category distinct from other categories, and yet according to many of them relation is not another thing distinct from absolute things; therefore, quantity could be a distinct category, although no quantity may be another thing really distinct from quality and substance.
Again, it is not more inconsistent for categories to be distinguished, although distinct things may not correspond to them, than for species to be distinguished, which do not have distinct things content under themselves; but it sometimes happens that species are diverse, although the same thing may be arranged under those species. Which is proved by the testimony of John of Damascus, for he says: “Place is a surface of air”; from which it is obvious that the same thing is a place and a surface; (yet, notwithstanding this, the same Doctor posits with others that place and surface are distinct species of quantity), and also a continuous quantity and a discrete quantity are distinct species; yet no thing corresponds to a continuous quantity that may not correspond to the other; for nothing is continuous that may not constitute number with another, according to the intention of the present Doctor.
Again, the same thing is also placed in diverse categories according to the same Saint, as was asserted before; therefore, there is no inconsistency that quantity may be a category distinct from quality and substance, and yet that every quantity may be an absolute thing really not distinct from substance and quality. Whence, it must be known that there are no categories except certain predicables and signs of things, by virtue of which John of Damascus fittingly says: “It is necessary to know that there are in all ten categories; that is, very general genera under which every word simply stated belongs.” Whence, the same Saint wishes, that every word, which can be called the extreme of a proposition or can be that through which an answer may be conveniently made to any question raised through any interrogation whatever, is placed under some category, and is placed under diverse categories through which an answer is made to such distinct questions raised through diverse interrogatives.
Whence, all words, through which an answer is conveniently made to the question raised concerning some substance per ‘ubi,’ are placed in the same genus, ‘ubi’; and all words, through which an answer is conveniently made to the question raised per ‘quando,’ are arranged under the genus, ‘quando’; and all words, through which an answer is made to the question raised per ‘quale,’ are in the category ‘qualitas’; and all words through which an answer is made to the question raised per ‘quantum’ or per ‘quot’ or any such interrogative which is posited by the grammarians as an interrogative of quantity, are placed in the genus ‘quantity as.’
And thus it is of other words placed in diverse categories, unless, per chance, such interrogatives may fail us, because we have a great dearth of terms. But not only nouns are placed in diverse categories, but even verbs and other parts of speech, and sometimes words composed of diverse parts of speech, as frequently words composed of diverse prepositions and their cases; by virtue of which the celebrated Doctor afterwards stated in his Logic in Chapter XXXII.: “That every word, namely, simple, belongs under those categories.” He further explains, saying: “They are indeed these: ‘substance’ as stone; ‘quantity’ as two or three; ‘relation’ as father and son; ‘quality’ as white and black; ‘place’ as in Tyre in Damascus, but this is a manifestation of place; ‘time’ as yesterday, tomorrow, but this is a manifestation of time; ‘possession’ as to put on a garment; ‘situation’ as to sit or to stand; ‘action’ as to burn; ‘passion’ as to be burned.” From this it is gathered that adverbs as ‘yesterday,’ ‘tomorrow’; verbs as ‘to burn,’ ‘to be burned’; composites of prepositions and their cases as ‘in Tyre,’ ‘in Damascus,’ are contained under one of those categories. And indeed there are no categories except certain predicables and signs of things and simple terms; from which are made combinations true and false; but simple terms of this kind can be distinct to such a degree that the predication of one of another is impossible; although no thing one through one is signified, but that the same thing may be signified by the rest; as no substantial or accidental thing is signified through this name ‘angelus’ but that it may be signified through this name ‘angeli,’ and conversely. Yet this is impossible, ‘angelus is angeli,’ and conversely; and indeed it is not inconsistent to posit that distinct predicables imply the same thing; notwithstanding, therefore, that substance, quality, and quantity may be distinct categories; yet every quantity could be a thing not really distinct from substance and quality. But it must be observed that such categories are not only signs fixed arbitrarily, of whatever kind the words are; but are also concepts or intentions of the mind which are signs naturally signifying things; and indeed as words can be distinguished, notwithstanding the identity of the things signified, so concepts or intentions of the mind can be distinguished, although they do not signify distinct things. And thus these names ‘substance,’ ‘quality,’ and ‘quantity’ may be distinct, although the things signified may not be distinct. Nor are names synonyms by virtue of this; for this name ‘quantity’ connotes or enables one to understand something; namely, part of a thing separate in situation from a part, which is connoted or is able to be understood neither through this name ‘substance’ nor through this name ‘quality’; by virtue of which this could be true, ‘substance as well as quality is’; notwithstanding that this may be false, ‘quantity is.’
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