of the surface of this inkstand" is, in fact, true of this presented
object.
This view, therefore, that what we are judging of the ultimate subject
of our judgment, when we judge "This is a so-and-so," is, in general,
merely that the subject in question is a _part_ of a thing of the
kind in question, can, I think, be most clearly discussed, by asking
whether, in this case, this presented object can really be identical
with this part of the surface of this inkstand. If it can't, then most
certainly I am not judging of it that it is a part of the surface of an
inkstand at all. For my judgment, whatever it is, is true. And yet, if
this presented object is not identical with this part of the surface of
this inkstand, it certainly is not a part of an inkstand at all; since
there is no other part, either of this inkstand or of any other, with
which it could possibly be supposed to be identical.
Can we, then, hold that this sense-datum really is identical with this
part of the surface of this inkstand? That everything which is true of
the one is true of the other?
An enormous number of very familiar arguments have been used by various
philosophers, which, if they were sound, would show that we can not.
Some of these arguments seem to me to be quite clearly not sound--all,
for instance, which rest either on the assumption that this sense-datum
can only exist so long as it is perceived, or on the assumption that
it can only exist so long as it is perceived _by me._ Of others I
suspect that they may have some force, though I am quite unable to see
that they have any. Such, for instance, are all those which assume
either that this sense-datum is a sensation or feeling of mine, in a
sense which includes the assertion that it is dependent on my mind
in the very same sense in which my perception of it obviously is so;
or that it is causally dependent on my body in the sense in which my
perception of it admittedly is so. But others do seem to me to have
great force. I will, however, confine myself to trying to state one,
which seems to me to have as much as any. It will be found that this
one involves an assumption, which does seem to me to have great force,
but which yet seems to me to be doubtful. So far as I know, all good
arguments against the view that this sense-datum really is identical
with this part of the surface of the inkstand, do involve this same
assumption, and have no more force than it has. But in this, of course,
I may be wrong. Perhaps some one will be able to point out an argument,
which is obviously quite independent of it, and which yet has force.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account