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. 28. And now he Apprehended plainly that every particular Animal, tho'
it had a great many Limbs, and variety of Senses and Motions, was
nevertheless _One_ in respect of that Spirit, whose Original was from
one firm Mansion, _viz_. the Heart, from whence, its Influence was
diffus'd among all the Members. And that all the Members were
subservient to it, or inform'd and supported by it, and that this Spirit
made use of those Members, in the same manner as a Soldier do's of his
Weapons, or an Huntsman or Fisherman of his Tackling, who makes use of
different ways and things, according to the difference of the Creatures
he intends to catch. Now the Soldiers Weapons are some of 'em defensive
and offensive, and the Sportsman's too are some for Land, and some for
Water: So the Anatomists Instruments, are some for Fission, others for
Fraction, and others for Perforation. And thus tho' the Body was _One_,
yet that governing Spirit made use of it several ways, according to the
respective uses of each Member, and the several ends which it propos'd
to obtain.
Sec. 29. Thus he perceiv'd that there was all this while but _One_ Animal
Spirit, whose Action when he made use of the Eye, was _Sight_; when of
the Ear, _Hearing_; when of the Nose, _Smelling_; when of the Tongue,
_Tasting_; and when of the Skin and Flesh, _Feeling_. When it employ'd
any Limb, then its Operation was _Motion_; and when it made use of the
Liver, _Nutrition_ and _Concoction_. And that, tho' there were Members
fitted to every one of these uses, yet none of them could perform their
respective Offices, without having Correspondence with that Spirit, by
means of the Nerves; and that if at any time it chanc'd that their
passages were either broken off or obstructed, such a Member would be
altogether useless. Now these; Nerves derive this Spirit from the Brain,
which has it from the Heart (and contains abundance of Spirit, because
it is divided into a great many partitions) and by what means soever any
limb is depriv'd of his Spirit, it's Action ceases, and 'tis like a cast
off Tool, not fit for use. And if this Spirit depart wholly from the
Body, or is consum'd or dissolv'd by any means whatsoever, then the
whole Body is depriv'd of Motion all at once, and reduced to a State of
Death.
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