The Improvement of Human Reason: Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan — John Shaqi
The Improvement of Human Reason: Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn YokdhanIbn Tufayl, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik
Islamic
The Improvement of Human Reason: Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan
Ibn Tufayl, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Malik
Islamic philosophy -- Early works to 1800
Sec. 12. By this time he began to have the Ideas of a great many things
fix'd in his mind, so as to have a desire to some, and an aversion to
others, even when they were absent. In the mean while he consider'd all
the several sorts of Animals, and saw that they were all clothed either
with Hair, Wool, or several sorts of Feathers: he consider'd their great
Swiftness and Strength, and that they were all arm'd with Weapons
defensive, as Horns, Teeth, Hoofs, Spurs, Nails, and the like. But that
he himself was Naked and Defenceless, Slow and Weak, in respect of them.
For whenever there happened any Controversy about gathering of such ripe
Fruits as fell from the Trees; he always came off by the worst, for they
could both keep their own, and take away his, and he could neither beat
them, off, nor run away from them.
Sec. 13. He observ'd besides that his Fellow-Fawns, tho' their Fore-heads
were smooth at first, yet afterwards had Horns bud out, and tho' they
were feeble at first, yet afterwards grew very Vigorous and Swift. All
these things he perceived in them, which were not in himself; and when
he had consider'd the Matter, he could not imagine what should be the
reason of this Difference; then he consider'd such Animals as had any
Defect or Natural Imperfection, but amongst them all he could find none
like himself. He took Notice that the Passages of the Excrements were
cover'd in all other Creatures besides himself: that by which they
voided their grosser Excrements, with a Tail; and that which serv'd for
the voiding of their Urine, with Hair or some such like thing. Besides,
he observ'd that their Privy parts, were more concealed than his own
were.
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