Principles

Minority

TK Minority

Definition: Minority is being close to naught and thus minority is considered in direct opposition to majority.

Clarification: This means that minority, like majority, has substantial and/or accidental being. One kind of substantial minority is where the form of fire exists throughout an entire ignited substance in the essential minority that this ignited substance has by reason of the minor goodness, etc. comprised in it, and this minority in the ignited substance arises from the minor quantity of its goodness, greatness and duration. Now by reason of the quantity of its goodness and greatness, it is not as far removed from evil and smallness as is the supreme boundless being immense beyond quantity, since its quantitatively limited duration makes it subject to decay. The same can be said about the minority of the vegetative and sensitive powers, as they are brought from non-being into being and from potentiality into habit, and from habit into act. Likewise, minority is found in the rational soul that can hold false opinions against the truth or vice versa, or choose evil and hate good or vice versa, because it consists of minor goodness, greatness, etc. and not of that major goodness which is the supreme being existing in majority over its effect, which also consists in majority as we said. Likewise, accidental minority of quantity, quality etc. is sustained in substantial minority produced from substantial majority: like extended quantity of substance arising from the intense quantity of its goodness, greatness etc. and like extended quality of substance arising from the intense quality of goodness, etc. and like the heat of an ignited substance extended from the intense heat of fire, and likewise for other things like these. The same applies in its own way to the sensual and intellectual powers. And there must be minority to preclude the supreme impossibility whereby beings other than the supreme being could also be supreme.

Distinctions: It exists in beings and gradually descends to almost naught, and the more it descends, the closer it comes to its own nature, and the more it ascends, the more it recedes from its own nature and approaches majority, its opposite.  

Nature: the natural fullness of minority is in the diminisher, the diminishable and their diminishing giving rise to diminished being.

The difficulty of minority: minority is a principle very difficult to grasp, given that it approaches naught whenever it approaches its own nature until it becomes almost unattainable because of its extreme smallness. Nonetheless, it is a necessary being because it cannot be removed without making all beings supreme. Hence, minority is a very necessary principle of this Art. By knowing its conditions, the artist can reach a subtler understanding of things. However, it sometimes displays false images in the unwary imagination of those who do not know how to treat it sequentially with the terms of this Art.

The reason why minority is a principle of this Art: knowing the essence, nature and conditions of minority allows the artist to find the right middle terms to reach conclusions and solve questions about minority. It also provides a way to reflect on supreme majority or equality through their opposite, as minority is like a slanted mirror where the intellect reflects on the likenesses of majority or magnitude. Contraries are known by their contraries, in the same way that through concordance things that are alike signify each other. Hence, this principle shall be treated sequentially with the other principles and vice versa.