28 Sept. 1814

Logic

Ch.2. Ontology

Entities classed

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Action. For /In/ the idea of action, the idea of motion is an essential ingredient. But to actual action actual motion can scarcely be regarded as necessary. Action is either motion itself or a /the/ tendency to motion. Under the term action, besides motion a tendency, though so it be without actual motion, seems to be included. Held back by strings, a magnet and a bar of iron, suspended at a certain distance from each other, remain both of them without motion: cut the strings of either of them, it moves till it comes in contact with the other; but for the state of mutual action which preceded the cutting of the strings no such motion would have taken place.

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