Again, if there be posited an accident which has a contrary, look
and see if that which admits of the accident will admit of its
contrary as well: for the same thing admits of contraries. Thus (e.g.)
if he has asserted that hatred follows anger, hatred would in that
case be in the 'spirited faculty': for that is where anger is. You
should therefore look and see if its contrary, to wit, friendship,
be also in the 'spirited faculty': for if not-if friendship is in
the faculty of desire-then hatred could not follow anger. Likewise
also if he has asserted that the faculty of desire is ignorant. For if
it were capable of ignorance, it would be capable of knowledge as
well: and this is not generally held-I mean that the faculty of desire
is capable of knowledge. For purposes, then, of overthrowing a view,
as has been said, this rule should be observed: but for purposes of
establishing one, though the rule will not help you to assert that the
accident actually belongs, it will help you to assert that it may
possibly belong. For having shown that the thing in question will
not admit of the contrary of the accident asserted, we shall have
shown that the accident neither belongs nor can possibly belong; while
on the other hand, if we show that the contrary belongs, or that the
thing is capable of the contrary, we shall not indeed as yet have
shown that the accident asserted does belong as well; our proof will
merely have gone to this point, that it is possible for it to belong.
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