Aristotle - The Organon - index for ANALYTICA POSTERIORA Book 2 Part 8

Whether essential nature is demonstrable

Paragraph 1 We must now start afresh and consider which of these conclusions are sound and which are not, and what is the nature of definition, and whether essential nature is in any sense demonstrable and definable or in none.

Paragraph 2 Now to know its essential nature is, as we said, the same as to know the cause of a thing's existence, and the proof of this depends on the fact that a thing must have a cause.

Paragraph 3 Now it was said before that this method could not amount to demonstration of essential nature - it is actually a dialectical proof of it - so let us begin again and explain by what method it can be demonstrated.

Paragraph 4 We have stated then how essential nature is discovered and becomes known, and we see that, while there is no syllogism - i.e. no demonstrative syllogism - of essential nature, yet it is through syllogism, viz. demonstrative syllogism, that essential nature is exhibited.

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Paragraph 1	We must now start afresh and consider which of these conclusions are sound and which are not, and what is the nature of definition, and whether essential nature is in any sense demonstrable and definable or in none.
Paragraph 2	Now to know its essential nature is, as we said, the same as to know the cause of a thing's existence, and the proof of this depends on the fact that a thing must have a cause.
Paragraph 3	Now it was said before that this method could not amount to demonstration of essential nature - it is actually a dialectical proof of it - so let us begin again and explain by what method it can be demonstrated.
Paragraph 4	We have stated then how essential nature is discovered and becomes known, and we see that, while there is no syllogism - i.e. no demonstrative syllogism - of essential nature, yet it is through syllogism, viz. demonstrative syllogism, that essential nature is exhibited.