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According to Aristotle the contraries are joined to each other in six ways, and their conjunction, in four ways, creates a contrariety.[1] 'Contraries' is the name for the [elements] which are very different from each other or the ones which make each other false. But this being said, anyone starting from these [principles] would not be able to demonstrate that one element is contrary only to one other, since one can take even many elements whose difference from each other is great, in the same kind: 'yellow' and 'pale' are both very distant from 'white', but they are also able to make the white false, and that [white] is able to make these false. But one can take elements whose difference from each other is great even in different kinds. For the two differ [from each other], one to one.[2]

*)enanti/a: o(/ti ta\ e)nanti/a kat' *)aristote/lhn sumpe/plektai me\n a)llh/lois e(caxw=s, e)nanti/wsin de\ poiei=tai tetraxw=s sumpleko/mena. e)nanti/a de\ le/gontai ta\ polu\ a)llh/lwn diestw=ta h)\ ta\ a)llh/lwn a)nairetika/. tou/tou de\ legome/nou ou)x oi(=o/s te o( a)po\ tou/twn o(rmw/menos dei=cai e(\n e(ni\ e)nanti/on: du/nantai ga\r kai\ polla\ polu\ a)festw=ta a)llh/lwn lamba/nein, tou=to me\n e)n tw=| au)tw=| ge/nei: to\ ga\r canqo\n kai\ to\ w)xro\n polu\ leukou= diesta/nai, a)lla\ kai\ a)nairetika/ e)sti tou= leukou= ka)kei=no tou/twn. e)/sti de\ polu\ diestw=ta kai\ e)n diafo/rois ge/nesi labei=n. e(\n ga\r e(ni\ ta\ du/o die/sthken.

[1] Aristotle in Alexander of Aphrodisias, Commentaries on Aristotle's Topica 181.10-11 Wallies; cf. Aristotle, Topica 1.112b27.
[2] Alexander of Aphrodisias (Commentaries on Aristotle's Topica 544.15-20 and 23 Wallies), whose summary is here reported by the Suda, is clearer about the terms of the problem. In the eighth book, Aristotle (Topica 158b24) is discussing difficulties occurring in arguing a position without a correct definition of the terms of the question, and chooses as an example the problem 'Has one thing one contrary or many?'. "Here, when the term 'contraries' has been properly defined, it is easy to lead people to see whether it is possible that the same thing has several contraries or not". This is the explanation of Alexander: "after having demonstrated that in many problems one needs first to define the subject (the thing), Aristotle adds something meant to clarify what he has said before […] it is more comfortable to discuss [a problem] than to point out what is the truth in it, unless the definition of the terms implied in this (problem) has been rendered in a proper way. For it is not possible to show that one element is contrary to only one other if you have not rendered a proper definition of 'contraries': if one says that 'contraries are the elements very different from one another' or 'the one which annuls each other', it is not possible to demonstrate that one element is contrary to only one other on the basis of such a statement: for many elements can be taken whose distance from each other is great, in the same kind: 'yellow' and 'pale' are both very distant from 'white' but they are also able to annul the white, and that one is able to annul these. But one can take elements whose distance from each other is great even in different kinds. Now if we concede the argument of these, that the elements which have the utmost difference between each other in the same kind ***; and it is not possible to have the utmost distance between each other, except from two elements; only one indeed can have the greatest possible distance from the other".

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