An Essay Towards a New Theory of VisionBerkeley, George
Philosophy
An Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision
Berkeley, George
Vision -- Early works to 1800
94. But then, whatever judgments he makes concerning the situation of
objects are confined to those only that are perceivable by touch. All
those things that are intangible and of a spiritual nature, his thoughts
and desires, his passions, and in general all the modifications of the
soul, to these he would never apply the terms UPPER and LOWER, except
only in a metaphorical sense. He may, perhaps, by way of allusion, speak
of high or low thoughts: but those terms in their proper signification
would never be applied to anything that was not conceived to exist
without the mind. For a man born blind, and remaining in the same state,
could mean nothing else by the words HIGHER and LOWER than a greater or
lesser distance from the earth; which distance he would measure by the
motion or application of his hand or some other part of his body. It is
therefore evident that all those things which, in respect of each other,
would by him be thought higher or lower, must be such as were conceived
to exist without his mind, in the ambient space.
95. Whence it plainly follows that such a one, if we suppose him made to
see, would not at first sight think anything he saw was high or low,
erect or inverted; for it hath been already demonstrated in sect. 41 that
he would not think the things he perceived by sight to be at any distance
from him, or without his mind. The objects to which he had hitherto been
used to apply the terms UP and DOWN, HIGH and LOW, were such only as
affected or were some way perceived by his couch: but the proper objects
of vision make a new set of ideas, perfectly distinct and different from
the former, and which can in no sort make themselves perceived by touch.
There is, therefore, nothing at all that could induce him to think those
terms applicable to them: nor would he ever think it till such time as he
had observed their connexion with tangible objects, and the same
prejudice began to insinuate itself into his understanding, which from
their infancy had grown up in the understandings of other men.
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