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Full Idea
The method of inquiry that has guided us elsewhere is … that a composite must be analyzed until we reach things that are incomposite, since these are the smallest parts of the whole.
Gist of Idea
Our method of inquiry is to examine the smallest parts that make up the whole
Source
Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1252a18)
Book Ref
Aristotle: 'Politics', ed/tr. Reeve,C.D.C. [Hackett 2017], p.2
A Reaction
Aristotle studies things, and aims to reveal their essential natures, so this is part of his method. You still have to grasp the essential natures of the atoms that compose the whole, however. To understand a city, understand people.