The Works of George Berkeley. Vol. 1 of 4: Philosophical Works, 1705-21Berkeley, George
Philosophy
The Works of George Berkeley. Vol. 1 of 4: Philosophical Works, 1705-21
Berkeley, George
Philosophy -- Early works to 1800
37. It plainly follows from what has been said, that a person perfectly
purblind (i.e. that could not see an object distinctly but when placed
close to his eye) would not make the same wrong judgment that others do in
the forementioned case. For, to him, greater confusions constantly
suggesting greater distances, he must, as he recedes from the glass, and
the object grows more confused, judge it to be at a farther distance;
contrary to what they do who have had the perception of the objects
growing more confused connected with the idea of approach.
38. Hence also it doth appear, there may be good use of computation, by
lines and angles, in optics(319); not that the mind judges of distance
immediately by them, but because it judges by somewhat which is connected
with them, and to the determination whereof they may be subservient. Thus,
the mind judging of the distance of an object by the confusedness of its
appearance, and this confusedness being greater or lesser to the naked
eye, according as the object is seen by rays more or less diverging, it
follows that a man may make use of the divergency of the rays, in
computing the apparent distance, though not for its own sake, yet on
account of the confusion with which it is connected. But so it is, the
confusion itself is entirely neglected by mathematicians, as having no
necessary relation with distance, such as the greater or lesser angles of
divergency are conceived to have. And these (especially for that they fall
under mathematical computation) are alone regarded, in determining the
apparent places of objects, as though they were the sole and immediate
cause of the judgments the mind makes of distance. Whereas, in truth, they
should not at all be regarded in themselves, or any otherwise than as they
are supposed to be the cause of confused vision.
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