The so-called 'relative' property, then, should be examined by means
of the commonplace arguments relating to Accident, to see whether it
belongs to the one thing and not to the other: on the other hand,
permanent and essential properties should be considered by the
following methods.
2
First, see whether the property has or has not been rendered
correctly. Of a rendering being incorrect or correct, one test is to
see whether the terms in which the property is stated are not or are
more intelligible-for destructive purposes, whether they are not so,
and for constructive purposes, whether they are so. Of the terms not
being more intelligible, one test is to see whether the property which
he renders is altogether more unintelligible than the subject whose
property he has stated: for, if so, the property will not have been
stated correctly. For the object of getting a property constituted
is to be intelligible: the terms therefore in which it is rendered
should be more intelligible: for in that case it will be possible to
conceive it more adequately, e.g. any one who has stated that it is
a property of 'fire' to 'bear a very close resemblance to the soul',
uses the term 'soul', which is less intelligible than 'fire'-for we
know better what fire is than what soul is-, and therefore a 'very
close resemblance to the soul' could not be correctly stated to be a
property of fire.
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