Philosophy is Science of Being

Philosophy treats of ‘being’ universally and not as a part of something.

The word ‘being’ is used in many senses.

If ‘being’ is used equivocally, as something that has nothing in common with others, then it does not fall under one science. This is because the meanings of an equivocal word do not form one genus.

But if ‘being’ is used as something common, then it will fall under one science.

A ‘discussion’ and a ‘knife’ are both called medical because:

• discussion comes from medical science [cause]
• knife is useful to medical science [effect]

A thing is called healthy if:

• it is shows good health [effect]
• it produces good health [cause]

Everything that exists has ‘being’ in this same way. [Cause or effect]

Each thing is to ‘be’ because it is:

• a modification of being, or
• a permanent or transient state, or
• a movement of it

Everything that exists may be referred to something single and common. Therefore, each of the differences may also be referred to the first differences of being.

This is true whether the first differences of being are:

• plurality and unity, or
• likeness and unlikeness,
• some other differences.

It does not matter whether ‘be’ refers:

• to being, or
• to unity.

Existence as being is different from existence as unity. But at least they are convertible. Being can be thought of as unity, just as unity can be thought of as being.

Every pair of differences is examined by one science.

Let us define a just man as someone permanently obedient to the laws. In every case, the unjust man will not have this whole definition denied of him.

He might be merely ‘deficient in obedience in some respect to the laws’. The privation will attach to him in this way and in all other cases.

Geometry is the science where in the mathematician investigates abstractions.

He first strips off all the sensible qualities such as:

• weight and lightness
• hardness and softness
• heat and cold
• other sensible contrarieties.

He leaves only the quantitative and continuous qualities, sometimes in one to three dimensions.

He does not consider them in any other respect.

He examines:

• the relative positions of some their attributes
• the commensurabilities and incommensurabilities of others
• the ratios of others

The same is true with regard to being, which is investigated by philosophy.

The attributes of this in so far as it is being, and the contrarieties in it qua being, it is the business of no other science than philosophy to investigate;

Physics studies things, not being. It studies sharing in movement.

Dialectics and Sophistry deals with the attributes of things but not their being*.

Therefore, the philosopher studies the things we have named, in so far as they are being.

Philosophy is the single science of things which are many and different in genus.