Very true.
Very true.
Nor are the others altogether without the one, but in a certain
way they participate in the one.
In what way?
Because the others are other than the one inasmuch as they have
parts; for if they had no parts they would be simply one.
Right.
And parts, as we affirm, have relation to a whole?
So we say.
And a whole must necessarily be one made up of many; and the parts
will be parts of the one, for each of the parts is not a part of many,
but of a whole.
How do you mean?
If anything were a part of many, being itself one of them, it will
surely be a part of itself, which is impossible, and it will be a part
of each one of the other parts, if of all; for if not a part of some
one, it will be a part of all the others but this one, and thus will
not be a part of each one; and if not a part of each, one it will
not be a part of anyone of the many; and not being a part of any
one, it cannot be a part or anything else of all those things of
none of which it is anything.
Clearly not.
Then the part is not a part of the many, nor of all, but is of a
certain single form, which we call a whole, being one perfect unity
framed out of all-of this the part will be a part.
Certainly.
If, then, the others have parts, they will participate in the
whole and in the one.
True.
Then the others than the one must be one perfect whole, having
parts.
Certainly.
And the same argument holds of each part, for the part must
participate in the one; for if each of the parts is a part, this
means, I suppose, that it is one separate from the rest and
self-related; otherwise it is not each.
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