Abstract of Logic, Book 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of Diviſion, its Laws and Species's.
Ax. 1. OF Diviſion, one is of the Name, or Nominal, the other of the Thing.
Ax. 2. Diviſion of the Name is an Enunciation of the Significations of an Homonymous or Doubtful Word, or Sentences of an ambiguous or doubtful Speech.
COMMENTARY.
1. §. As if any one ſhould recite the Significations of theſe Latin Words, Jus, Canis, Malum, &c. or diſtinguiſh in this Oration, Aio te Aeacide Romanos vincere poſſe. That is, I ſay, you Aeacides can conquer the Romans. This properly indeed is not ſo much Diviſion as Enunci…, and is more frequently call'd Diſtinction than Diviſion.
Ax. 3. And is to be adhibited in the Beginning of a Diſputation
1. §. So that the Diſputation may ſeem to be inſtituted againſt the Thing, not Words: For it may happen, ſays Ariſtotle, that the Anſwerer may not direct his Thoughts the ſame way with him that interrogates, when any thing is ambiguous in a Speech, Book 1. Top. Cap. 8.
Ax. 4. Now Diviſion of the Thing which is properly ſaid to Be a Diviſion, is an Explication of the Whole by its Parts.
Ax. 5. And is either by its ſelf, or by Accident.
Ax. 6. Diviſion by it ſelf, is that by which is divided a Whole into its Parts, which are in it, of, or by themſelves.
Ax. 7. Accident by Accident.
1. §. For Example; when Animal is divided into Man and Beaſt, or into Body and Soul, the Diviſion is a Diviſion by it ſelf; becauſe Man and Beaſt are by themſelves contained under Animal; and Animal is of it ſelf compoſed of Body and Mind. But when Men are divided into Freemen and Slaves, good and bad, the Diviſion is by Accident; becauſe here, not Men of themſelves are divided, but the States and Conditions of Men or other Accidents which happen to them.
Ax. 8. Diviſion of it ſelf again is Four-fold; One of the Univerſal Whole, or Genus into Species's; Another of the Formal, or defin'd into its Parts defining, as Genus and Difference; Another of the Eſſential or Compoſed into its Compoſing, as Matter and Form; Another laſtly, of the Integrate into its Integrating; and this by a peculiar Name is called Partition.
1. §. For Example; When Animal is divided into Man and Beaſt, or Element into Fire, Air, Water and Earth; or Moral Vertue into Juſtice, Fortitude and Temperance, &c. the Diviſion is of the Univerſal, or Genus into Species's. When the Definition of Man is reſolved into its Parts; or when Animal and Rational are ſaid to be Parts of Man, or of the Definition of Human Eſſence, the Diviſion is ſaid to be of the Whole Defined or Formal. When Man into a Body and Rational Soul, the Diviſion is a Diviſion of the whole Compoſed or Eſſential, &c. And hitherto are to be referred all Diſtinctions of Things into Material and Formal; as when the Material of a Word is ſaid to be Voice, Formal, Signification. Laſtly when Man or Human Body is divided into its three Regions and Limbs; or the Year into 12 Months; a Kingdom into its Provinces; greater into leſs; or Logick into Thematical and Organical: It is a Definition of the Integrate, or Mathematical, and is called Partition.
Ax. 9. Diviſion by Accident is Four-fold, to wit, either of a Cauſe by its Effects, or an Effect by its Cauſes, to wit, Material, Efficient or Final; or a Subject by its Adjuncts; or an Adjunct by its Subjects, &c.
1. §. Of Cauſe by its Effects; as Plants, others heat, others cool: Syllogiſms, others effect Faith, others Opinion, others Science. Effect by its Cauſes, and 1ſt. Efficient; as of Teſtimonies, others Divine, others Humane: By Cauſe Material; as of Statues, others are Marble, others Braſs: Of Living things, others are of Seed, others Putrid Matter, &c. Cauſe Final; as of Men, others voluptuous, others ſtudious of Money; others ſpeculative, others ready for Action, &c. Cauſe Formal, that is, Diviſion by Cauſe Formal is a Diviſion by it ſelf. Diviſion by it ſelf, alſo is when a proper Accident is divided by its next Cauſe Efficient or Final: So Diſeaſes or Diſtampers do differ in Species which have a diverſe next Cauſe or Synectical, or Containing, as a Fever and a Pleuriſie, &c. of Subject and Adjuncts; as of Men, ſome are Bond, ſome Free, ſome are Learned, ſome Unlearned Sounds, ſome are Grave, ſome Acute: Numbers, ſome are Even, ſome Odd: Charity, one towards God, the other towards ones Neighbour: Flowers, ſome Spring, others Summer: Animals, ſome Land, others Water, others both. But Diviſion of Subject by Adjuncts is often a Diviſion by it ſelf; As th' External Senſe is Converſant either about Colour, Sound, or Smell, or Taſte, or the Tactile Qualities. Laſtly, Adjunct by Subjects; as, Vices, ſome are of the Mind, ſome Body; Virtues, ſome of the Underſtanding, ſome Appetite, &c.
Ax. 10. The Principal Laws of Diviſion in general, are ſeven; and firſt, the Parts of it ought to conſent or agree in the whole
1. §. And therefore Vitious is the Diviſion of Men into living and dead, real and painted; becauſe dead and painted Men are not Men, unleſs aequivocally. So Vicious is the Diviſion of Animals into Mortal, and Immortal; becauſe no Animal is Immortal, &c.
Ax. 11. Secondly The Parts ought amongſt themſelves to be oppoſed.
1. §. Vicious therefore, that Diviſion when either the Parts are not different, as when Pleaſure is divided into Delectation and Joy, or when one Part is contain'd in the other: As if Animal ſhould be divided into Mortal and Rational, &c. and that Diviſion is the beſt, which conſiſts of Parts affirmed; but oftentimes by reaſon of the Imbecillity of our Minds, and Want of Words, we are forc'd to divide by Privation; as when the Body is divided into Animate and Inanimate, &c.
Ax. 12. Thirdly, In Diviſion are to be taken the next and immediate Parts.
1. §. For Inſtance, A living Creature muſt not immediately be divided into Plant, Man and Beaſt; but firſt into Animal and Plant, and then Animal into Man and Beaſt, and ſo on. See Book 2. Poſt. Cap. 13.
Ax. 13. Fourthly, The ſingular Parts muſt contain leſs than the whole.
1. §. For the Whole is greater than its Part, and therefore, if one Part ſhould be equal to the Whole, the other would be ſuperfluous, and therefore would not differ from the other; or elſe would not conſent with the whole.
Ax. 14. Fifthly, The Parts together, muſt contain neither more nor leſs than the Whole.
1. §. If more, there muſt be ſomething in the Diviſion which is ſuperfluous and diſſentaneous to the Whole; if leſs, the Diviſion would be maimed; as if you ſhould divide Rites and Cuſtoms into Pious and Impious. For in this Diviſion are omitted Rites of a middle Nature: as, by the Sound of a Bell to call People to Church, &c.
Ax. 15. Sixthly, Diviſion ought to conſiſt of the feweſt Parts the Nature of the Thing will bear, and if it may be conveniently of two.
1. §. For by how much the Parts are the fewer in Number, by ſo much are they the more manifeſtly oppos'd, and better contain'd by the Memory. Not always, yet is to be affected a Bimembrous Diviſion: For often the Nature of the Dividend refuſes a Dichotomy, or Bimembrous Diviſion. The Diviſion of Whole, Defin'd and Compos'd, muſt always be bimember'd. Diviſion of Genus, the fewer the better; but it cannot always conſiſt of two. And in that of whole Integral and by Accident to ſeek always for Dichotomy, is a ſort of accurate Vanity.
Ax. 16. Seventhly, a Mean is to be put to dividing leſt the Number of Subdiviſions encreaſe too much.
1. §. The ſame Fault, ſays Seneca, Ep. 89, has an Exceſs of Diviſion as none; for that is like unto confus'd which is cut even to Powder. And thus much of Definition and Diviſion: Now follows Syllogiſm.