Kitap 13
4
Now since someThis was the orthodox Platonist view; cf. Aristot. Met. 1.6.4. recognize these as two classes— the Ideas and the mathematical numbers—and othersXenocrates and his followers. regard both as having one nature, and yet othersThe Pythagoreans and Speusippus. hold that only the mathematical substances are substances, we must first consider the mathematical objects, without imputing to them any other characteristic—e.g. by asking whether they are really Ideas or not, or whether they are principles and substances of existing things or not—and merely inquire whether as mathematical objects they exist or not, and if they do, in what sense; then after this we must separately consider the Ideas themselves, simply and in so far as the accepted procedure requires; for most of the arguments have been made familiar already by the criticisms of other thinkers.
5
And further, the greater part of our discussion must bear directly upon this second question—viz. when we are considering whether the substances and first principles of existing things are numbers and Ideas; for after we have dealt with the Ideas there remains this third question.
