Things are 'true' and 'primary' which are believed on the
strength not of anything else but of themselves: for in regard to
the first principles of science it is improper to ask any further
for the why and wherefore of them; each of the first principles should
command belief in and by itself. On the other hand, those opinions are
'generally accepted' which are accepted by every one or by the
majority or by the philosophers-i.e. by all, or by the majority, or by
the most notable and illustrious of them. Again (c), reasoning is
'contentious' if it starts from opinions that seem to be generally
accepted, but are not really such, or again if it merely seems to
reason from opinions that are or seem to be generally accepted. For
not every opinion that seems to be generally accepted actually is
generally accepted. For in none of the opinions which we call
generally accepted is the illusion entirely on the surface, as happens
in the case of the principles of contentious arguments; for the nature
of the fallacy in these is obvious immediately, and as a rule even
to persons with little power of comprehension. So then, of the
contentious reasonings mentioned, the former really deserves to be
called 'reasoning' as well, but the other should be called
'contentious reasoning', but not 'reasoning', since it appears to
reason, but does not really do so.
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