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第7章

on sense and the sensible-第7章

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animals only while respiring (for that this is the fact is manifest in



all the animals which do respire); whereas none of those just



mentioned respires; and yet they have the sense of smell… unless;



indeed; they have some other sense not included in the ordinary



five。 This supposition is; however; impossible。 For any sense which



perceives odour is a sense of smell; and this they do perceive; though



probably not in the same way as creatures which respire; but when



the latter are respiring the current of breath removes something



that is laid like a lid upon the organ proper (which explains why they



do not perceive odours when not respiring); while in creatures which



do not respire this is always off: just as some animals have eyelids



on their eyes; and when these are not raised they cannot see;



whereas hard…eyed animals have no lids; and consequently do not



need; besides eyes; an agency to raise the lids; but see straightway



'without intermission' from the actual moment at which it is first



possible for them to do so 'i。e。 from the moment when an object



first comes within their field of vision'。



  Consistently with what has been said above; not one of the lower



animals shows repugnance to the odour of things which are



essentially ill…smelling; unless one of the latter is positively



pernicious。 They are destroyed; however; by these things; just as



human beings are; i。e。 as human beings get headaches from; and are



often asphyxiated by; the fumes of charcoal; so the lower animals



perish from the strong fumes of brimstone and bituminous substances;



and it is owing to experience of such effects that they shun these。



For the disagreeable odour in itself they care nothing whatever



(though the odours of many plants are essentially disagreeable);



unless; indeed; it has some effect upon the taste of their food。



  The senses making up an odd number; and an odd number having



always a middle unit; the sense of smell occupies in itself as it were



a middle position between the tactual senses; i。e。 Touch and Taste;



and those which perceive through a medium; i。e。 Sight and Hearing。



Hence the object of smell; too; is an affection of nutrient substances



(which fall within the class of Tangibles); and is also an affection



of the audible and the visible; whence it is that creatures have the



sense of smell both in air and water。 Accordingly; the object of smell



is something common to both of these provinces; i。e。 it appertains



both to the tangible on the one hand; and on the other to the



audible and translucent。 Hence the propriety of the figure by which it



has been described by us as an immersion or washing of dryness in



the Moist and Fluid。 Such then must be our account of the sense in



which one is or is not entitled to speak of the odorous as having



species。



  The theory held by certain of the Pythagoreans; that some animals



are nourished by odours alone; is unsound。 For; in the first place; we



see that food must be composite; since the bodies nourished by it



are not simple。 This explains why waste matter is secreted from



food; either within the organisms; or; as in plants; outside them。 But



since even water by itself alone; that is; when unmixed; will not



suffice for food… for anything which is to form a consistency must be



corporeal…; it is still much less conceivable that air should be so



corporealized 'and thus fitted to be food'。 But; besides this; we



see that all animals have a receptacle for food; from which; when it



has entered; the body absorbs it。 Now; the organ which perceives odour



is in the head; and odour enters with the inhalation of the breath; so



that it goes to the respiratory region。 It is plain; therefore; that



odour; qua odour; does not contribute to nutrition; that; however;



it is serviceable to health is equally plain; as well by immediate



perception as from the arguments above employed; so that odour is in



relation to general health what savour is in the province of nutrition



and in relation to the bodies nourished。



  This then must conclude our discussion of the several organs of



sense…perception。



                                 6







  One might ask: if every body is infinitely divisible; are its



sensible qualities… Colour; Savour; Odour; Sound; Weight; Cold or



Heat; 'Heaviness or' Lightness; Hardness or Softness…also infinitely



divisible? Or; is this impossible?



  'One might well ask this question'; because each of them is



productive of sense…perception; since; in fact; all derive their



name 'of 'sensible qualities'' from the very circumstance of their



being able to stimulate this。 Hence; 'if this is so' both our



perception of them should likewise be divisible to infinity; and every



part of a body 'however small' should be a perceptible magnitude。



For it is impossible; e。g。 to see a thing which is white but not of



a certain magnitude。



  Since if it were not so; 'if its sensible qualities were not



divisible; pari passu with body'; we might conceive a body existing



but having no colour; or weight; or any such quality; accordingly



not perceptible at all。 For these qualities are the objects of



sense…perception。 On this supposition; every perceptible object should



be regarded as composed not of perceptible 'but of imperceptible'



parts。 Yet it must 'be really composed of perceptible parts'; since



assuredly it does not consist of mathematical 'and therefore purely



abstract and non…sensible' quantities。 Again; by what faculty should



we discern and cognize these 'hypothetical real things without



sensible qualities'? Is it by Reason? But they are not objects of



Reason; nor does reason apprehend objects in space; except when it



acts in conjunction with sense…perception。 At the same time; if this



be the case 'that there are magnitudes; physically real; but without



sensible quality'; it seems to tell in favour of the atomistic



hypothesis; for thus; indeed; 'by accepting this hypothesis'; the



question 'with which this chapter begins' might be solved



'negatively'。 But it is impossible 'to accept this hypothesis'。 Our



views on the subject of atoms are to be found in our treatise on



Movement。



  The solution of these questions will bring with it also the answer



to the question why the species of Colour; Taste; Sound; and other



sensible qualities are limited。 For in all classes of things lying



between extremes the intermediates must be limited。 But contraries are



extremes; and every object of sense…perception involves contrariety:



e。g。 in Colour; White x Black; in Savour; Sweet x Bitter; and in all



the other sensibles also the contraries are extremes。 Now; that



which is continuous is divisible into an infinite number of unequal



parts; but into a finite number of equal parts; while that which is



not per se continuous is divisible into species which are finite in



number。 Since then; the several sensible qualities of things are to be



reckoned as species; while continuity always subsists in these; we



must take account of the difference between the Potential and the



Actual。 It is owing to this difference that we do not 'actually' see



its ten…thousandth part in a grain of millet; although sight has



embraced the whole grain within its scope; and it is owing to this;



too; that the sound contained in a quarter…tone escapes notice; and



yet one hears the whole strain; inasmuch as it is a continuum; but the



interval between the extreme sounds 'that bound the quarter…tone'



escapes the ear 'being only potentially audible; not actually'。 So; in



the case of other objects of sense; extremely small constituents are



unnoticed; because they are only potentially not actually 'perceptible



e。g。' visible; unless when they have been parted from the wholes。 So



the footlength too exists 

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