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第4章

on sense and the sensible-第4章

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'the weakness of our' sense; are imperceptible by us; but a mixture by



which they 'i。e。 the 'matter' of which they consist' are wholly



blent together by interpenetration; as we have described it in the



treatise on Mixture; where we dealt with this subject generally in its



most comprehensive aspect。 For; on the supposition we are criticizing;



the only totals capable of being mixed are those which are divisible



into minimal parts; 'e。g。 genera into individuals' as men; horses;



or the 'various kinds of' seeds。 For of mankind as a whole the



individual man is such a least part; of horses 'as an aggregate' the



individual horse。 Hence by the juxtaposition of these we obtain a



mixed total; consisting 'like a troop of cavalry' of both together;



but we do not say that by such a process any individual man has been



mixed with any individual horse。 Not in this way; but by complete



interpenetration 'of their matter'; must we conceive those things to



be mixed which are not divisible into minima; and it is in the case of



these that natural mixture exhibits itself in its most perfect form。



We have explained already in our discourse 'On Mixture' how such



mixture is possible。 This being the true nature of mixture; it is



plain that when bodies are mixed their colours also are necessarily



mixed at the same time; and 'it is no less plain' that this is the



real cause determining the existence of a plurality of colours… not



superposition or juxtaposition。 For when bodies are thus mixed;



their resultant colour presents itself as one and the same at all



distances alike; not varying as it is seen nearer or farther away。



  Colours will thus; too 'as well as on the former hypotheses'; be



many in number on account of the fact that the ingredients may be



combined with one another in a multitude of ratios; some will be based



on determinate numerical ratios; while others again will have as their



basis a relation of quantitative excess or defect not expressible in



integers。 And all else that was said in reference to the colours;



considered as juxtaposed or superposed; may be said of them likewise



when regarded as mixed in the way just described。



  Why colours; as well as savours and sounds; consist of species



determinate 'in themselves' and not infinite 'in number' is a question



which we shall discuss hereafter。



                                 4







  We have now explained what colour is; and the reason why there are



many colours; while before; in our work On the Soul; we explained



the nature of sound and voice。 We have next to speak of Odour and



Savour; both of which are almost the same physical affection; although



they each have their being in different things。 Savours; as a class;



display their nature more clearly to us than Odours; the cause of



which is that the olfactory sense of man is inferior in acuteness to



that of the lower animals; and is; when compared with our other



senses; the least perfect of Man's sense of Touch; on the contrary;



excels that of all other animals in fineness; and Taste is a



modification of Touch。



  Now the natural substance water per se tends to be tasteless。 But



'since without water tasting is impossible' either (a) we must suppose



that water contains in itself 'uniformly diffused through it' the



various kinds of savour; already formed; though in amounts so small as



to be imperceptible; which is the doctrine of Empedocles; or (b) the



water must be a sort of matter; qualified; as it were; to produce



germs of savours of all kinds; so that all kinds of savour are



generated from the water; though different kinds from its different



parts; or else (c) the water is in itself quite undifferentiated in



respect of savour 'whether developed or undeveloped'; but some



agent; such for example as one might conceive Heat or the Sun to be;



is the efficient cause of savour。



  (a) Of these three hypotheses; the falsity of that held by



Empedocles is only too evident。 For we see that when pericarpal fruits



are plucked 'from the tree' and exposed in the sun; or subjected to



the action of fire; their sapid juices are changed by the heat;



which shows that their qualities are not due to their drawing anything



from the water in the ground; but to a change which they undergo



within the pericarp itself; and we see; moreover; that these juices;



when extracted and allowed to lie; instead of sweet become by lapse of



time harsh or bitter; or acquire savours of any and every sort; and



that; again; by the process of boiling or fermentation they are made



to assume almost all kinds of new savours。



  (b) It is likewise impossible that water should be a material



qualified to generate all kinds of Savour germs 'so that different



savours should arise out of different parts of the water'; for we



see different kinds of taste generated from the same water; having



it as their nutriment。



  (C) It remains; therefore; to suppose that the water is changed by



passively receiving some affection from an external agent。 Now; it



is manifest that water does not contract the quality of sapidity



from the agency of Heat alone。 For water is of all liquids the



thinnest; thinner even than oil itself; though oil; owing to its



viscosity; is more ductile than water; the latter being uncohesive



in its particles; whence water is more difficult than oil to hold in



the hand without spilling。 But since perfectly pure water does not;



when subjected to the action of Heat; show any tendency to acquire



consistency; we must infer that some other agency than heat is the



cause of sapidity。 For all savours 'i。e。 sapid liquors' exhibit a



comparative consistency。 Heat is; however; a coagent in the matter。



  Now the sapid juices found in pericarpal fruits evidently exist also



in the earth。 Hence many of the old natural philosophers assert that



water has qualities like those of the earth through which it flows;



a fact especially manifest in the case of saline springs; for salt



is a form of earth。 Hence also when liquids are filtered through



ashes; a bitter substance; the taste they yield is bitter。 There are



many wells; too; of which some are bitter; others acid; while others



exhibit other tastes of all kinds。



  As was to be anticipated; therefore; it is in the vegetable



kingdom that tastes occur in richest variety。 For; like all things



else; the Moist; by nature's law; is affected only by its contrary;



and this contrary is the Dry。 Thus we see why the Moist is affected by



Fire; which as a natural substance; is dry。 Heat is; however; the



essential property of Fire; as Dryness is of Earth; according to



what has been said in our treatise on the elements。 Fire and Earth;



therefore; taken absolutely as such; have no natural power to



affect; or be affected by; one another; nor have any other pair of



substances。 Any two things can affect; or be affected by; one



another only so far as contrariety to the other resides in either of



them。



  As; therefore; persons washing Colours or Savours in a liquid



cause the water in which they wash to acquire such a quality 'as



that of the colour or savour'; so nature; too; by washing the Dry



and Earthy in the Moist; and by filtering the latter; that is;



moving it on by the agency of heat through the dry and earthy; imparts



to it a certain quality。 This affection; wrought by the aforesaid



Dry in the Moist; capable of transforming the sense of Taste from



potentiality to actuality; is Savour。 Savour brings into actual



exercise the perceptive faculty which pre…existed only in potency。 The



activity of sense…perception in general is analogous; not to the



process of acquiring knowledge; but to that of exercising knowledge



already acquired。



  That Savours; either as a quality or as the privation of a



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