ON THE SOUL 10

...in a natural composite they are lessened and diminished. And then it must be asked: how would it be possible that any of these powers—namely the qualitative ones, like heat or cold—while lessened and diminished in a composite, could be so disposed that the operations [of the soul] proceed from it as its own proper instrument? And why was such a quality not so disposed before, when it was intense in its complete state (not lessened) and its power was perfect, so that the operations of the soul might proceed from it?

Alternatively, it is explained: "then there would be heat," that is, then heat or cold, etc. original: "caliditas aut frigiditas &c."—supply: "would be the instrumental cause of all the soul's operations." For just as fire works by means of heat, and water works by means of cold, similarly, if the soul inclined toward the form of fire or water, then it would not work except by means of heat or cold, and so on for others. And thus the soul would have no operations other than those which any form of the elements has by means of their quality.

NAY, RATHER, HOW WOULD IT MOVE etc. Indeed, if the soul inclined toward any form of the elements and were some form or quality proper to them, it would have to be asked how any of the forms or qualities of those elements would move the composite in which the soul existed. And it is clear that it would only move toward one part Meaning it would only move in one natural direction, such as fire moving upward or earth moving downward; but the soul moves toward various parts meaning the soul can direct the body in any direction; therefore, etc.

AND WHY it would be necessary, etc. F In this section, Avicenna proposes a third reason through which he demonstrates that the arrival of the soul does not happen according to the "first division" referring to a previously discussed classification of how forms are categorized, and that it does not incline toward any form or quality proper to any of the elements—in which, because of their mutual refraction original: "refractionem"; in medieval physics, this refers to the way contrary qualities "blunt" or weaken each other when they meet against one another, there occurs a lessening and remission.

For if the soul were lessened or diminished heat or cold in an animal mixed from the elements, it would have to be asked why and how, alongside the movements of the soul, that thing would be necessary which the "prohibiting factor" prohibens (prohibiting factor): the resistance or mutual interference between physical qualities that limits their power requires, such that the prohibiting factor causes their weakness, etc. And by "prohibiting factor" in this context is understood the refraction of the qualities of the elements as they act upon one another in the generation of the mixture's temperament original: "complexionis," referring to the physical balance of a body.

It is clear, moreover, that a prohibiting factor of this kind—namely, the refraction of qualities and their reaction against one another—causes weakness; that is, it causes a remission of their degrees, and consequently causes weakness in their operations. For a lessened and refracted quality does not make an impression in the same way as a complete, non-lessened quality. Therefore, in the qualities of the elements, there occurs a "prohibiting factor" that weakens their operation, and consequently weakens the operation of the elemental forms acting through their qualities.

In the movements of the soul, however, the aforementioned prohibiting factor does not occur. For the soul has an operation through itself meaning it is not merely a byproduct of physical qualities; and consequently, no weakening prohibiting factor occurs within it or its operations. For the soul is not weakened in its act of understanding; rather, its understanding is more greatly strengthened and its intellectual power is increased, as will be declared below in chapter nine. And although this is more truly verified in the intellectual power, nevertheless this can also be verified in the local, voluntary, and moderated movements of the soul. And...