19. Let us now examine if certain actualizations seem to be imperfect
when they are not joined to time, thus identifying themselves with
movements, as life identifies itself with living. For (according to
the Aristotelians) the life of each (being) is accomplished in a
perfect time, and happiness is an actualization; not an individual
one, indeed, but a sort of movement.[277] Consequently we will have
to call life and happiness movements, and movement will have to be
made a genus, though recognizing that movement forms a genus very
different from quantity and quality; and, like them, relates to being.
This genus could be divided into two species, movements of body and
movements of soul, or movements spontaneous and communicated; or
again, movements proceeding from the beings themselves, or movements
proceeding from others. In this case, the movements proceeding from the
beings themselves are actions, whether they communicate to others, or
remain absolute in themselves (and not communicating to others, like
speaking and walking); and the movements proceeding from others are
"reactions" though the communicated movements seem to be identical with
the movements proceeding from others. For example, division is one and
the same thing, whether it be considered within him who divides, or in
that which is divided; nevertheless dividing is something different
from being divided. Or again, division is not one and the same thing
according as it proceeds from him who divides, or as it is received
by him who is divided; to divide means to cause in the divided thing
another movement, which is the result of the dividing action or
movement. Perhaps, indeed, the difference does not lie in the very fact
of being divided, but in the movement which results from the division,
as for instance, in suffering; for this is what constitutes reaction
(or "passion").
What are we to say if there be no suffering? We might answer that
the actualization of him who acts is simply present in such a thing
(without correlative reaction). There are thus two manners of acting;
to act within oneself, and to act outside of oneself. No more will
it then be said that the first mode is proper acting, and the second
reacting, but that there are two ways of acting outside of oneself,
acting and reacting. For instance, writing is an operation in which
one acts on something else without a correlative reaction, because in
writing one produces nothing but the very actualization of writing,
and not something else, like experiencing; for the quality of writing
that has been produced is nothing that reacts (or, experiences). As to
walking, though the earth be stepped on by the feet, it does not react
(or, experience) as a consequence. On the contrary, if it be the body
of an animal that is trod under feet, it may be conceived that there
is reaction, because one then thinks of the suffering endured by the
animal thus trod on, and not of the walking; otherwise, this reaction
would have been conceived before (the notion of this reaction would
have been implied in the very notion of walking).