The Monist, Vol. 1, 1890-1891 : $b A quarterly magazineVarious
Philosophy
The Monist, Vol. 1, 1890-1891 : $b A quarterly magazine
Various
Philosophy -- Periodicals
Now let us suppose that an apple falls from a considerable height to
the ground. Knowing, from former experiences, the hardness of the soil
as well as the density of the apple, we can anticipate the effect of
the fall. The soil will not show any considerable impression, yet
one side of the apple will be crushed. In predicting this result
we anticipate sensations that we shall have under a certain set of
circumstances. In so far as we shall necessarily have these sensations
we have to deal with facts. Not as if our sensations constitute the
entire existence of facts; our sensations, being the effects of
so-called objective processes upon our senses, are only one end of a
relation, which as a matter of course never exists without the other
end. Sensations are the one end; they depend upon and vary with the
other end. Showing within certain limits as many varieties here as
occur there, they represent the other end.
We can, and for certain purposes we must, entirely eliminate the
subjective and sensory part of our sensations, in order to represent
in our minds not how two objects affect our senses of sight or touch
but how two or more objects affect each other. Thus we arrive at an
objective statement of facts, how the falling apple affects the soil,
and the soil the apple; while the relation of both to our senses is
to be eliminated. This objective statement of facts is the ideal of
all natural sciences. The physicist states the interaction between the
falling apple and the soil. He does not care how many sentient beings
witness the fall; he does not care about the psychological element in
their observations. He abstracts from the subjective elements in their
observations as well as in his own, and confines his attention to the
objective facts represented in their minds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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