on sense and the sensible-第3部分

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This　also　helps　us　to　understand　why　the　olfactory　organ　has　its



proper　seat　in　the　environment　of　the　brain；　for　cold　matter　is



potentially　hot。　In　the　same　way　must　the　genesis　of　the　eye　be



explained。　Its　structure　is　an　offshoot　from　the　brain；　because　the



latter　is　the　moistest　and　coldest　of　all　the　bodily　parts。



　　The　organ　of　touch　proper　consists　of　earth；　and　the　faculty　of



taste　is　a　particular　form　of　touch。　This　explains　why　the　sensory



organ　of　both　touch　and　taste　is　closely　related　to　the　heart。　For　the



heart　as　being　the　hottest　of　all　the　bodily　parts；　is　the



counterpoise　of　the　brain。



　　This　then　is　the　way　in　which　the　characteristics　of　the　bodily



organs　of　sense　must　be　determined。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3







　　Of　the　sensibles　corresponding　to　each　sensory　organ；　viz。　colour；



sound；　odour；　savour；　touch；　we　have　treated　in　On　the　Soul　in　general



terms；　having　there　determined　what　their　function　is；　and　what　is



implied　in　their　becoming　actualized　in　relation　to　their　respective



organs。　We　must　next　consider　what　account　we　are　to　give　of　any　one



of　them；　what；　for　example；　we　should　say　colour　is；　or　sound；　or



odour；　or　savour；　and　so　also　respecting　＇the　object　of＇　touch。　We



begin　with　colour。



　　Now；　each　of　them　may　be　spoken　of　from　two　points　of　view；　i。e。



either　as　actual　or　as　potential。　We　have　in　On　the　Soul　explained



in　what　sense　the　colour；　or　sound；　regarded　as　actualized　＇for



sensation＇　is　the　same　as；　and　in　what　sense　it　is　different　from；　the



correlative　sensation；　the　actual　seeing　or　hearing。　The　point　of



our　present　discussion　is；　therefore；　to　determine　what　each



sensible　object　must　be　in　itself；　in　order　to　be　perceived　as　it　is



in　actual　consciousness。



　　We　have　already　in　On　the　Soul　stated　of　Light　that　it　is　the　colour



of　the　Translucent；　＇being　so　related　to　it＇　incidentally；　for



whenever　a　fiery　element　is　in　a　translucent　medium　presence　there



is　Light；　while　the　privation　of　it　is　Darkness。　But　the



'Translucent'；　as　we　call　it；　is　not　something　peculiar　to　air；　or



water；　or　any　other　of　the　bodies　usually　called　translucent；　but　is　a



common　'nature'　and　power；　capable　of　no　separate　existence　of　its



own；　but　residing　in　these；　and　subsisting　likewise　in　all　other



bodies　in　a　greater　or　less　degree。　As　the　bodies　in　which　it　subsists



must　have　some　extreme　bounding　surface；　so　too　must　this。　Here；　then；



we　may　say　that　Light　is　a　'nature'　inhering　in　the　Translucent　when



the　latter　is　without　determinate　boundary。　But　it　is　manifest　that；



when　the　Translucent　is　in　determinate　bodies；　its　bounding　extreme



must　be　something　real；　and　that　colour　is　just　this　'something'　we



are　plainly　taught　by　facts…colour　being　actually　either　at　the



external　limit；　or　being　itself　that　limit；　in　bodies。　Hence　it　was



that　the　Pythagoreans　named　the　superficies　of　a　body　its　'hue'；　for



'hue'；　indeed；　lies　at　the　limit　of　the　body；　but　the　limit　of　the



body；　is　not　a　real　thing；　rather　we　must　suppose　that　the　same



natural　substance　which；　externally；　is　the　vehicle　of　colour　exists



＇as　such　a　possible　vehicle＇　also　in　the　interior　of　the　body。



　　Air　and　water；　too　＇i。e。　as　well　as　determinately　bounded　bodies＇



are　seen　to　possess　colour；　for　their　brightness　is　of　the　nature　of



colour。　But　the　colour　which　air　or　sea　presents；　since　the　body　in



which　it　resides　is　not　determinately　bounded；　is　not　the　same　when



one　approaches　and　views　it　close　by　as　it　is　when　one　regards　it　from



a　distance；　whereas　in　determinate　bodies　the　colour　presented　is



definitely　fixed；　unless；　indeed；　when　the　atmospheric　environment



causes　it　to　change。　Hence　it　is　clear　that　that　in　them　which　is



susceptible　of　colour　is　in　both　cases　the　same。　It　is　therefore　the



Translucent；　according　to　the　degree　to　which　it　subsists　in　bodies



（and　it　does　so　in　all　more　or　less）；　that　causes　them　to　partake　of



colour。　But　since　the　colour　is　at　the　extremity　of　the　body；　it



must　be　at　the　extremity　of　the　Translucent　in　the　body。　Whence　it



follows　that　we　may　define　colour　as　the　limit　of　the　Translucent　in



determinately　bounded　body。　For　whether　we　consider　the　special



class　of　bodies　called　translucent；　as　water　and　such　others；　or



determinate　bodies；　which　appear　to　possess　a　fixed　colour　of　their



own；　it　is　at　the　exterior　bounding　surface　that　all　alike　exhibit



their　colour。



　　Now；　that　which　when　present　in　air　produces　light　may　be　present



also　in　the　Translucent　which　pervades　determinate　bodies；　or　again；



it　may　not　be　present；　but　there　may　be　a　privation　of　it。



Accordingly；　as　in　the　case　of　air　the　one　condition　is　light；　the



other　darkness；　in　the　same　way　the　colours　White　and　Black　are



generated　in　determinate　bodies。



　　We　must　now　treat　of　the　other　colours；　reviewing　the　several



hypotheses　invented　to　explain　their　genesis。



　　（1）　It　is　conceivable　that　the　White　and　the　Black　should　be



juxtaposed　in　quantities　so　minute　that　＇a　particle　of＇　either



separately　would　be　invisible；　though　the　joint　product　＇of　two



particles；　a　black　and　a　white＇　would　be　visible；　and　that　they　should



thus　have　the　other　colours　for　resultants。　Their　product　could；　at



all　events；　appear　neither　white　nor　black；　and；　as　it　must　have



some　colour；　and　can　have　neither　of　these；　this　colour　must　be　of　a



mixed



character…　in　fact；　a　species　of　colour　different　from　either。　Such；



then；　is　a　possible　way　of　conceiving　the　existence　of　a　plurality



of　colours　besides　the　White　and　Black；　and　we　may　suppose　that　＇of



this　'plurality'＇　many　are　the　result　of　a　＇numerical＇　ratio；　for



the　blacks　and　whites　may　be　juxtaposed　in　the　ratio　of　3　to　2　or　of　3



to　4；　or　in　ratios　expressible　by　other　numbers；　while　some　may　be



juxtaposed　according　to　no　numerically　expressible　ratio；　but



according　to　some　relation　of　excess　or　defect　in　which　the　blacks　and



whites　involved　would　be　incommensurable　quantities；　and；　accordingly；



we　may　regard　all　these　colours　＇viz。　all　those　based　on　numerical



ratios＇　as　analogous　to　the　sounds　that　enter　into　music；　and



suppose　that　those　involving　simple　numerical　ratios；　like　the



concords　in　music；　may　be　those　generally　regarded　as　most



agreeable；　as；　for　example；　purple；　crimson；　and　some　few　such



colours；　their　fewness　being　due　to　the　same　causes　which　render　the



concords　few。　The　other　compound　colours　may　be　those　which　are　not



based　on　numbers。　Or　it　may　be　that；　while　all　colours　whatever



＇except　black　and　white＇　are　based　on　numbers；　some　are　regular　in



this　respect；　others　irregular；　and　that　the　latter　＇though　now



supposed　to　be　all　based　on　numbers＇；　whenever　they　are　not　pure；



owe　this　character　to　a　corresponding　impurity　in　＇the　arrangement　of＇



their　numerical　ratios。