Kitap 3
4
And so for this reason some of the sophists, e.g. Aristippus,Founder of the Cyrenaic school in the early fourth century. spurned mathematics, on the ground that in the other arts, even the mechanical ones such as carpentry and cobbling, all explanation is of the kind because it is better or worse, while mathematics takes no account of good and bad.For a defense of mathematics see Aristot. Met. 13.3.10-12.
5
On the other hand if there are several sciences of the causes, and a different one for each different principle, which of them shall we consider to be the one which we are seeking, or whom of the masters of these sciences shall we consider to be most learned in the subject which we are investigating?
6
For it is possible for all the kinds of cause to apply to the same object; e.g. in the case of a house the source of motion is the art and the architect; the final cause is the function; the matter is earth and stones, and the form is the definition. Now to judge from our discussion some time agoCf. Aristot. Met. 1.2.5-6. as to which of the sciences should be called Wisdom, there is some case for applying the name to each of them.
