Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural Philosophy — John Shaqi
Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural PhilosophyNewcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Philosophy
Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural Philosophy
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676; Philosophy
senses and the objects, the endeavour of the objects pressing one way,
and the senses pressing the other way, and if equal in their strengths,
they would make a stop, and the sensitive organs would be very much
pained. Truly, _Madam_, in my opinion, it would be like that Custom
which formerly hath been used at _Newcastle_, when a man was married,
the guests divided themselves, behind and before the Bridegroom, the
one party driving him back, the other forwards, so that one time a
Bridegroom was killed in this fashion; But certainly Nature hath a
more quick and easie way of giving intelligence and knowledg to her
Creatures, and doth not use such constraint and force in her actions;
Neither is sense or sensitive perception a meer Phantasme or Idea, but
a Corporeal action of the sensitive and rational matter, and according
to the variation of the objects or patterns, and the sensitive and
rational motions, the perception also is various, produced not by
external pressure, but by internal self-motion, as I have declared
heretofore; and to prove, that the sensitive and rational corporeal
motions are the onely cause of perception; I say, if those motions
in an animal move in another way, and not to such perceptions, then
that animal can neither hear, see, taste, smell nor touch, although
all his sensitive organs be perfect, as is evident in a man falling
into a swoon, where all the time he is in a swoon, the pressure of the
objects is made without any effect; Wherefore, as the sensitive and
rational corporeal motions make all that is in nature; so likewise
they make perception, as being perception it self, for all self-motion
is perception, but all perception is not animal perception; or after
an animal way; and therefore sense cannot decay nor die, but what is
called a decay or death, is nothing else but a change or alteration of
those Motions. But you will say, _Madam_, it may be, that one body,
as an object, leaves the print of its figure, in the next adjoyning
body, until it comes to the organ of sense, I answer that then soft
bodies onely must be pressed, and the object must be so hard as to
make a print, and as for rare parts of matter, they are not able to
retain a print without self-motion; Wherefore it is not probable that
the parts of air should receive a print, and print the same again
upon the adjoyning part, until the last part of the air print it
upon the eye; and that the exterior parts of the organ should print
upon the interior, till it come to the centre of the Brain, without
self-motion. Wherefore in my opinion, Perception is not caused either
by the printing of objects, nor by pressures, for pressures would
make a general stop of all natural motions, especially if there were
any reaction or resistence of sense; but according to my reason, the
sensitive and rational corporeal motions in one body, pattern out the
Figure of another body, as of an exterior object, which may be done
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