ON THE SOUL

...from the emission of qualities and their mutual action upon one another, a temperament original: complexio, the specific balance of the four primary qualities—heat, cold, moisture, and dryness—that defines a substance’s nature results. However, in a perfect temperament, the overcome contrary does not possess its own property in actuality meaning it is not actively functioning or "turned on", nor does it make its impression, as was said above. Therefore, since the overcome contrary does not have its property, nor makes an impression, nor operates, it follows that it does not hinder the operation of the dominant contrary; and thus, those two contraries coexist with one another.

But it seems possible that two contraries could exist simultaneously. For if white color and black color are mixed in equal quantity, a middle color will result, as was said above. It is clear that white and black are "remote contraries," and they are essentially present in that middle color and in the subject the physical matter in which that middle color exists. Therefore, it follows that two remote contraries will be in the same subject.

The answer is that although it appears to the senses that two contraries are in the same subject, in truth it is not so. In that mixture made artificially from white and black color, the parts of the white body and the parts of the black body are divided into such tiny fragments that the middle color seems to exist in a single subject. Similarly, it seems that those two contrary colors are in one subject, yet it is not so. For blackness is grounded in the smallest part of the black body, and whiteness is grounded in the smallest part of the white color. Therefore, these two contrary colors are in different bodies and different subjects, even if it appears otherwise to the senses.

From this, the response is clear to anyone who might say that just as a middle color results from equal parts of a white body and a black body, so too a "middle form" results from equal parts of contrary elements, which does not lean toward any of the forms of the simple contraries. It must be said that there is no similarity between that ash-gray color original: cineritio made artificially from two equal contraries and a natural mixture made from contrary elements in equal quantity. For if a white body and a black body are mixed together, that color results not from their mutual action and passion the process of elements acting upon and being changed by one another, but because of the mingling of parts so small that, when placed next to each other, they cause that color.

However, a natural mixture cannot be made without mutual action and passion. If, therefore, such a natural mixture were given from contrary elements in equal quantity, then because of their mutual action and passion—if such mutual reaction and passion were even possible—two contraries would be in the same subject, and not in different tiny parts as was said above regarding color. It was noted, therefore, "if such action and passion were possible," because where contrary elements were equal in quality and power, then their actions and passions would be equal. Thus, because of the resistance of their equality, no action or passion could occur between them. From this it appears why the "second division" likely referring to a theoretical state of perfect elemental equilibrium is impossible to find; for if it were found, then equality would be necessary in those things that require the operations of simple forms, and in those things that require their passions; and then...