What could be said of the shape of every thing? If we speak of the
shape as far as something has a specific form, that has no regard to
quality; if it be spoken of in respect to beauty or ugliness, together
with the form of the subject, we there have a reason.
ARISTOTLE WAS WRONG IN CALLING "ROUGH," "UNITED," "RARE," AND "DENSE"
QUALITIES.
As to rough, united, rare and dense[269] these could not be called
qualities; for they do not consist only in a relative separation or
reapproximation of the parts of a body, and do not proceed everywhere
from the inequality or equality of position; if they did, they might be
regarded as qualities. Lightness and weight, also, could be correctly
classified, if carefully studied. In any case, lightness is only a
verbal similarity (a "homonym") unless it be understood to mean
diminution of weight. In this same class might also be found leanness
and slimness, which form a class different from the four preceding
ideas.