Part 14

There are six sorts of movement: generation, destruction, increase, diminution, alteration, and change of place.

There are six kinds of movement: coming into being, ceasing to exist, growing, shrinking, changing in quality, and changing place.

It is evident in all but one case that all these sorts of movement are distinct each from each. Generation is distinct from destruction, increase and change of place from diminution, and so on. But in the case of alteration it may be argued that the process necessarily implies one or other of the other five sorts of motion. This is not true, for we may say that all affections, or nearly all, produce in us an alteration which is distinct from all other sorts of motion, for that which is affected need not suffer either increase or diminution or any of the other sorts of motion. Thus alteration is a distinct sort of motion; for, if it were not, the thing altered would not only be altered, but would forthwith necessarily suffer increase or diminution or some one of the other sorts of motion in addition; which as a matter of fact is not the case. Similarly that which was undergoing the process of increase or was subject to some other sort of motion would, if alteration were not a distinct form of motion, necessarily be subject to alteration also. But there are some things which undergo increase but yet not alteration. The square, for instance, if a gnomon is applied to it, undergoes increase but not alteration, and so it is with all other figures of this sort. Alteration and increase, therefore, are distinct.

With one exception, all these kinds of movement are clearly distinct from one another. Coming into being is distinct from destruction, growth and change of place from shrinking, and so on. But someone might argue that alteration necessarily involves one of the other five kinds of movement. This is not true. All experiences that affect us, or nearly all, can be said to produce alteration distinct from every other kind of movement. For something affected need not grow, shrink, or undergo any other kind of movement. Alteration is therefore a distinct kind of movement. Otherwise, anything altered would necessarily also grow, shrink, or undergo some other kind of movement at the same time. But in fact, this does not happen. Similarly, if alteration were not a distinct kind of movement, anything growing or undergoing another movement would necessarily also undergo alteration. But some things grow without undergoing alteration. A square, for example, grows without undergoing alteration if a gnomon is added to it. The same is true of all other figures of this kind. Alteration and growth are therefore distinct.

Speaking generally, rest is the contrary of motion. But the different forms of motion have their own contraries in other forms; thus destruction is the contrary of generation, diminution of increase, rest in a place, of change of place. As for this last, change in the reverse direction would seem to be most truly its contrary; thus motion upwards is the contrary of motion downwards and vice versa.

In general, rest is the opposite of motion. But different forms of motion have their own opposites. Thus destruction is the opposite of coming into being, and decrease is the opposite of increase. Staying in one place is the opposite of changing place. But movement in the reverse direction would seem to be the truest opposite of changing place. Thus upward motion is the opposite of downward motion, and vice versa.

In the case of that sort of motion which yet remains, of those that have been enumerated, it is not easy to state what is its contrary. It appears to have no contrary, unless one should define the contrary here also either as 'rest in its quality' or as 'change in the direction of the contrary quality', just as we defined the contrary of change of place either as rest in a place or as change in the reverse direction. For a thing is altered when change of quality takes place; therefore either rest in its quality or change in the direction of the contrary may be called the contrary of this qualitative form of motion. In this way becoming white is the contrary of becoming black; there is alteration in the contrary direction, since a change of a qualitative nature takes place.

Of the kinds of motion already listed, one remains, and its opposite is not easy to identify. It seems to have no opposite, unless we define its opposite as either 'remaining unchanged in quality' or 'changing toward the opposite quality'. This is like our definition of the opposite of a change in place: either staying in one place or moving in the reverse direction. A thing undergoes alteration when its quality changes. So either remaining unchanged in quality or changing toward the opposite quality may count as the opposite of qualitative motion. In this way, becoming white is the opposite of becoming black. The alteration goes in the opposite direction, since the change is a change in quality.