The soul receives contraries and so is not the body's entelechy
A body can take on opposed qualities in its matter, but not in its form: change the form and you change the thing. Contraries therefore sit in the underlying body, not in the form as such. That is why the soul cannot be the body's entelechy. It stands as its own complete, bodiless substance, able to receive virtue and vice — opposed states no mere form could host. Call the soul an entelechy and you make it motionless in itself, moved only by accident; yet the body does not move itself. Whatever first moves it must come from the soul.
Greek
παρὰ μέρος τῶν ἐναντίων ἐςὶ δεκτική᾽ καὶ δὲ κατὰ τὸ εἶδος, εὐδαμῶς. ἐὰν γαρ κ κατὰ τὸ εἶδες διαφορὰ μεταλλαγῆ, μεταλλάττεται καὶ τὸ θεν. ὥςτε οὐχ, καὶ κατὰ τὸ εἶδος οὐσία τῶν ἐναντίων ἐστὶ δεκτιεὲν ἀλλ᾽ ἡ κατὰ τὸ ὑποκείμενον, τουτέστιν, καὶ σωματική. οὐ δύναται τοίνυν ἡ ψυχὴ κατ᾿ οὐδένα τρέπον ἐντελέχεια τοῦ σώματος εἶναι" ἀλλ᾽ οὐσία αὐτοτελῆς, ἀσώαατος, παρὰ μέρος γὰρ ἐπιδέχεται τὰ ἐναντίκ, κακίαν καὶ ἀρετὴν, ὅπερ οὐκ ἠδύνατο τὸ εἶδος ἐπιδέξασθαι. ἔπειτά (σιν, ἐντελέΓχμὰ μαι ῥήροο : χείαν οὖσαν τὴν Ψυχὴν, ἀκίνητον εἶναι καϑ᾽ ἑαντὴν, κινεῖσθαι δὲ κατὰ συμθεβ κές. οὐδὲν δὲ ἀπεικὸς, ἀκίνητον οὖσαν κινεῖν ἡμᾶς. καὶ γὰρ τὸ κάλλος, ἀκίνητον ἓν, κινεῖ ἠαᾶς. ΚΣ γα) ο δη Η ῥα ἐμὴ 5 ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ τοῦτο, ακίνητον ἐν, κινεῖ" ἀλλὰ τὸ ψύσιν ἔχον πινεῖσϑαι κινεῖ, καὶ οὐχὶ τὸ ἀκέητεν. εἰ τείνων καὶ νο. ᾽ ῇ μα κ Π τὸ σῶμα καϑ᾽ ἑαυτὸ κύπσιν εἶχεν, οὐδὲν ἵν ἄτοπον αὐτὸ Υ ΑΚ. ΙΕΟΤ, ΕΤ ΑΝΊΜΛΌΥ. τῶν ἐναντίων ἐστὶ ] ἐναντίων α ππαπ. τεῦ. ἵπ τπαγρῖπε εχρ];οατυγς ὑγείας καὶ νόσου. Μοχτητ ]ο Ῥοΐε οχοήοτηπι οὐξαμῶς αὐ ἶδος. Δ. 3. καὶ δὲ κατὰ τὸ εἶδο;, οὐδαμῶς] Όση ρεείες αἠξέπι εἰ Γοτπα πεγιαφμαπι. ΛΙν καὶ δὲ αἱ ἐστὶ δεκτικὴ ονονει Να]. ἐὲν γὸρ ἡ πατὰ τὸ εἶδος] κὲν γὰρ κατὰ τὸ εἶδος, Ν. Μοκ ἴάοπι : καὶ ἐικᾷορὲ καταλλαγῆ. Αα ἀοίηθο: ὥςτε οὐχὶ κατὸ τὸ εἶδος ἡ ουσίκ --ἀλλὰ κατῶ τὸ ὑποκείμ. Δ. 1.
About this text
Nemesius of Emesa, On Human Nature — tip densify (soul arguments) from Wither 1636 Greek OCR.
English densified from locked Wither 1636 OCR Greek for tip sections 1.1–3.1; apparatus stripped; OCR damage disclosed.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.