Against the Physicists, Books IX-X of Against the Learned Section 270

οὐ τοίνυν θνῄσκει Σωκράτης. οἷος δ’ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τούτου λόγος, τοιοῦτος καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ πάσχοντος. οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ὂν δύναται πάσχειν ἐφ’ ὅσον ὄν ἐστι καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχῆθεν ὑπόστασιν νοεῖται, οὔτε τὸ μὴ ὄν· ἀρχὴν γὰρ οὐχ ὑφέστηκεν·

Therefore Socrates does not die. The argument in his case applies likewise to what is acted upon. For neither can what exists be acted upon insofar as it exists and is conceived according to its original subsistence, nor can what does not exist, for it has no subsistence at all.

Socrate ne meurt donc pas. Le raisonnement qui vaut pour lui vaut aussi pour ce qui subit. En effet, ni ce qui est ne peut subir en tant qu’il est et qu’on le conçoit selon sa constitution originelle, ni ce qui n’est pas, car il n’a jamais commencé à subsister.