Book 1
1
The Pythagoreans, then, may be dismissed for the present, for it is enough to touch upon them thus briefly. As for those who posit the Forms as causes,For a discussion of the Ideal theory and Aristotle’s conception of it see Introduction; and with the whole contents of Aristot. Met. 9.1-15 cf. Aristot. Met. 13.4.6-5. in the first place in their attempt to find the causes of things in our sensible world, they introduced an equal number of other entities—as though a man who wishes to count things should suppose that it would be impossible when they are few, and should attempt to count them when he has added to them. For the Forms are as many as, or not fewer than, the things in search of whose causes these thinkers were led to the Forms; because corresponding to each thing there is a synonymous entity apart from the substances (and in the case of non-substantial things there is a One over the ManyAn Idea which represents their common denominator.), both in our everyday world and in the realm of eternal entities.The heavenly bodies.
2
Again, not one of the arguments by which weAristotle is here speaking as a Platonist. Contrast the language of Aristot. Met. 13.4.7ff., and see Introduction. try to prove that the Forms exist demonstrates our point: from some of them no necessary conclusion follows, and from others it follows that there are Forms of things of which we hold that there are no Forms.
