And whereas the most peculiar characteristics of spiritual properties
are two--one of them Setting in Motion (Impulsion), and the other
Perception--it is incumbent upon us to show that to every moving body
there is a [A]moving cause (ground, reason, motive, pretence). Then it
will become evident to us therefrom that bodies moving in motions over
and above the natural motions--an example of natural motions is the
sinking of the heavy, and the rising of the light--have moving[B]
causes, which we call souls or spiritual powers; and that we further
show that any body, in so far as it shows signs (traces) that it is
perceptive, such perception by it cannot be validly ascribed to its
body, except because of powers (faculties) in it that are capable of
perception.
We now start by saying that not a shadow of doubt or perplexity
hampers the mind, as to things, that some of them share some one thing
in common, and differ in an other; and that that which is shared in
common is other than that in which they differ. The mind encounters all
bodies whatsoever as having this in common, viz. that they are bodies;
and afterwards it encounters them as differing in that they move (in
different ways); otherwise there would be no such thing as rest of a
body, and not even such a thing as motion of a body, except along a
circle, seeing that of motion in a straight line it is established
by its very form that it will not proceed save from stoppings and to
stoppings (resting-places to resting-places). Hence it is evident that
bodies are not to be clothed with the attribute of motion because they
are bodies, but for reasons (causes) above and beyond their corporeity,
from which causes their motions proceed, like the resulting of the
footprint from the walker (or, just as the effect proceeds from the
agent).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account