The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

CHAP. XVI.

Of the Sensitive Faculty.

a 1.1 THE Sensitive faculty of the Soul is that by which sence is primarily in Animals. Sense is a mutation in the Organ caused by some sensible Object. It is not sensible of it self, nor of its Organ, not of any interiour thing. To reduce it to act, is re∣quisite some externall sensible object, for sense cannot move it self being a passive power, as that which is combustible cannot burn it self.

b 1.2 Of sensible Objects there are three kinds; proper, which is perceived by one sense, without errour, as colour in respect of sight. Common; which is not proper to any one, but percei∣ved by all. Accidentall; which, as such, doth not affect the sense.

Sense is either Externall or Internall, the externall are five, Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Touching, Tasting.

c 1.3 The object of Seeing is Colour, and some thing without a name that glisters in the dark, as the scales of fish, glow-worms and the like. Colour is the motive of that which is actually per∣spicuous; nothing therefore is visible, without light. Perspicuous is that which is visible, not by it self, but by some other colour or light, as Air, Water, Glasse. Light is the act of a perspicuous thing, as it is perspicuous. It is not fire, not a body,

for then two bodies would be in the same place.

To sight and all other senses is requisite a medium and conve∣nient distance. The object first affects the medium, then the organ.

d 1.4 The object of hearing is sound. Sound is made by collision of two bodies, hard, smooth, and hollow, in a medium, as air or water, swiftly and vehemently before the medium be dissipated.

Echo is a reflex sound, when the air, gathered together and forced into a vessell, or some place which hindereth its diffusion and progresse, reverts as a base against a wall. Sound is alwaies reflected, though not alwaies perceptibly, as light also, other∣wise all places would be dark, which were not directly oppo∣site to the Sun, or some lucid body.

Sound is made by that which moveth the air; and continu∣ally stirreth it, till it arive at the organ, wherein there is an insite, connaturall, animate, immovable air, which being moved by the externall air, yeeldeth the sense of hearing. Hence it com∣meth that we can hear under water, for the water cannot get into this air, because of the winding narrow passages of the ear: If it do get in, or the membrance which containeth this air be otherwise broken, it causeth deafnesse.

Voice is the impulsion of air attracted by respiration, and forced against the vocall artery by the soul, which is in the lungs, with some intent of signification. Voice therefore is not proper to all animals, but to such only as have blood and breath. Fishes therefore have not voice.

e 1.5 The object of smelling is Odor. This sense is not so perfect in men as in other creatures, whence men perceive not odors, un∣lesse with delight or dislike, when they are so strong, as to ex∣cite one of these. This defect proceedeth from the organ of smel∣ling, which in us is more obtuse. The medium of smelling is air and water, for fishes smell. Hence all living creatures smell not after the same manner; they which breath smell by drawing in the air, the rest not so, because of the different accommodation of the Organ. Those therefore which smell by drawing in the air, cannot smell under water. Odor consists chiefly in dry, as sapor in humid. The organ of smelling is dry potentially, as the object is actually.

f 1.6 The object of Tast is sapor. Whatsoever is gustable is tacti∣ble, and humid, either actually, or at least potentially. Dry things are subject to tast as they are potentially humid, and melt as salt. The tast perceiveth that which is gustable, and that which is ingustable, as the sight darknesse, the hearing silence; for every sence perceiveth the presence and absence of its object. That which is potable is perceived by the touch, as humid by the tast, as having sapor. The tongue tasts not that which is dry, because the organ of tast must be such potentially, as the object is actually; but, without humidity nothing is gustable. The

kinds of sapors are sweet and bitter; to sweet are referred unctious, to bitter salt. The mean are sharp, piccant, acid, acute; gustable is that which moveth the tast, and reduceth it to act.

g 1.7 The objects of Touch are the primary qualities, organ is that part which is potentially that which the object is in act; for that which is like cannot suffer from its like. We feel not things of equall heat, cold, hardnesse, or softnesse. The flesh is the medium; the first sensory is something more internall. Here∣in touch and tast differ from the other senses, whose objects are at greater distance. Touch perceiveth things tactile and not tactile.

h 1.8 All these senses receive sensible species without matter, as wax the impression of a seal without the gold. The organ or sensory is that in which the sensitive faculty primarily exists; a vehement object destroyeth the organ.

i 1.9 That there are no more externall senses then these five, is manifest, in that there are no more in perfect animals; neither is there any need of a sixt sense to perceive common objects, which every sense discernes by accident, as motion figure.

The act of the object, and the act of the sense it selfe, as So∣nation and Audition, are really the same, differ only intentio∣nally. This act is generally in the sensitive, not in the object.

k 1.10 Sensible qualities are finite, as being bounded by extreams and their contraries, but divisible by accident into infinite, ac∣cording to the division of their continuous subject.

l 1.11 In sensibles, some are potentially sensible, as a part joyned to the whole; others actually, as the whole it selfe, or a part se∣parated from the whole. But of separate parts some are so little, that sense cannot actually perceive them, by reason of their want of due magnitude.

m 1.12 Sounds and odors are successively generated in the medium, and by degrees deduced to the organ; but light is produced in an instant in the medium, not carried through it by locall mo∣tion.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Cap. 5.
• b 1.2

  Cap. 6.
• c 1.3

  Cap. 7.
• d 1.4

  Cap. 8.
• e 1.5

  Cap. 9.
• f 1.6

  Cap. 10.
• g 1.7

  Cap. 11.
• h 1.8

  Cap. 12.
• i 1.9

  Lib. 3. Cap. 1.
• k 1.10

  De Sensu. cap. 6.
• l 1.11

  Ibid.
• m 1.12

  Ibid.