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
98. And this seems to me the true reason why he should think those objects
uppermost that are painted on the lower part of his eye. For, by turning
the eye up they shall be distinctly seen; as likewise they that are
painted on the highest part of the eye shall be distinctly seen by turning
the eye down, and are for that reason esteemed lowest. For we have shewn
that to the immediate objects of sight, considered in themselves, he would
not attribute the terms high and low. It must therefore be on account of
some circumstances which are observed to attend them. And these, it is
plain, are the actions of turning the eye up and down, which suggest a
very obvious reason why the mind should denominate the objects of sight
accordingly high or low. And, without this motion of the eye—this turning
it up and down in order to discern different objects—doubtless _erect_,
_inverse_, and other the like terms relating to the position of tangible
objects, would never have been transferred, or in any degree apprehended
to belong to the ideas of sight, the mere act of seeing including nothing
in it to that purpose; whereas the different situations of the eye
naturally direct the mind to make a suitable judgment of the situation of
objects intromitted by it(390).
99. Farther, when he has by experience learned the connexion there is
between the several ideas of sight and touch, he will be able, by the
perception he has of the situation of visible things in respect of one
another, to make a sudden and true estimate of the situation of outward,
tangible things corresponding to them. And thus it is he shall
perceive(391) by sight the situation of external(392) objects, which do
not properly fall under that sense.
100. I know we are very prone to think that, if just made to see, we
should judge of the situation of visible things as we do now. But, we are
also as prone to think that, at first sight, we should in the same way
apprehend the distance and magnitude of objects, as we do now; which hath
been shewn to be a false and groundless persuasion. And, for the like
reasons, the same censure may be passed on the positive assurance that
most men, before they have thought sufficiently of the matter, might have
of their being able to determine by the eye, at first view, whether
objects were erect or inverse.
101. It will perhaps be objected to our opinion, that a man, for instance,
being thought erect when his feet are next the earth, and inverted when
his head is next the earth, it doth hence follow that, by the mere act of
vision, without any experience or altering the situation of the eye, we
should have determined whether he were erect or inverted. For both the
earth itself, and the limbs of the man who stands thereon, being equally
perceived by sight, one cannot choose seeing what part of the man is
nearest the earth, and what part farthest from it, i.e. whether he be
erect or inverted.
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