Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 3 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"Plutarch
Philosophy
Plutarch's essays and miscellanies, Vol. 3 (of 5) : $b Comprising all his works collected under the title of "Morals"
Plutarch
Classical literature; Essays; Ethics; Philosophy
CHAPTER VI.
OF THE MOTION OF THE SOUL.
Plato believes that the soul is in perpetual motion, but that the mind
is immovable with respect to motion from place to place. Aristotle,
that the soul is not naturally moved, but its motion is accidental,
resembling that which is in the forms of bodies.
CHAPTER VII.
OF THE SOUL’S IMMORTALITY.
Plato and Pythagoras say that the soul is immortal; when it departs
out of the body, it retreats to the soul of the world, which is a
being of the same nature with it. The Stoics, when the souls leave the
bodies, they are carried to divers places; the souls of the unlearned
and ignorant descend to the coagmentation of earthly things, but
the learned and vigorous endure till the general fire. Epicurus and
Democritus, the soul is mortal, and it perisheth with the body. Plato
and Pythagoras, that part of the soul of man which is rational is
eternal; for though it be not God, yet it is the product of an eternal
Deity; but that part of the soul which is divested of reason dies.
CHAPTER VIII.
OF THE SENSES, AND OF THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE OBJECTS OF THE SENSES.
The Stoics give this definition of sense: Sense is the apprehension
or comprehension of an object by means of an organ. There are several
ways of expressing what sense is; it is either a habit, a faculty, an
operation, or an imagination which apprehends by means of an organ of
sense,—and also the eighth principal thing, from whence the senses
are derived. The instruments of sense are intelligent spirits, which
from the said commanding part reach unto all the organs of the body.
Epicurus, that sense is a faculty, and that which is perceived
by the sense is the product of it; so that sense hath a double
acceptation,—sense which is the faculty, and the thing received by
the sense, which is the effect. Plato, that sense is that commerce
which the soul and body have with those things that are exterior to
them; the power of which is from the soul, the organ by which is from
the body; but both of them apprehend exterior objects by means of the
imagination. Leucippus and Democritus, that sense and intelligence
arise from external images; so neither of them can operate without the
assistance of an image falling upon us.
CHAPTER IX.
WHETHER WHAT APPEARS TO OUR SENSES AND IMAGINATIONS BE TRUE OR NOT.
The Stoics say that what the senses represent is true; what the
imagination, is partly false, partly true. Epicurus, that every
impression which either the sense or fancy gives us is true, but of
those things that fall under the account of opinion, some are true,
some false: sense gives us a false representation of those things
only which are the objects of our understanding; but the fancy gives
us a double error, both of things sensible and things intellectual.
Empedocles and Heraclides, that the senses perceive by a just
accommodation of the pores in every case; every thing that is perceived
by the sense being congruously adapted to its proper organ.
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