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
105. By the foregoing section, it is plain the visible figure of any part
of the body hath no necessary connexion with the tangible figure thereof,
so as at first sight to suggest it to the mind. For, figure is the
termination of magnitude. Whence it follows that no visible magnitude
having in its own nature an aptness to suggest any one particular tangible
magnitude, so neither can any visible figure be inseparably connected with
its corresponding tangible figure, so as of itself, and in a way prior to
experience, it might suggest it to the understanding. This will be farther
evident, if we consider that what seems smooth and round to the touch may
to sight, if viewed through a microscope, seem quite otherwise.
106. From all which, laid together and duly considered, we may clearly
deduce this inference:—In the first act of vision, no idea entering by the
eye would have a perceivable connexion with the ideas to which the names
earth, man, head, foot, &c. were annexed in the understanding of a person
blind from his birth; so as in any sort to introduce them into his mind,
or make themselves be called by the same names, and reputed the same
things with them, as afterwards they come to be.
107. There doth, nevertheless, remain one difficulty, which to some may
seem to press hard on our opinion, and deserve not to be passed over. For,
though it be granted that neither the colour, size, nor figure of the
visible feet have any necessary connexion with the ideas that compose the
tangible feet, so as to bring them at first sight into my mind, or make me
in danger of confounding them, before I had been used to and for some time
experienced their connexion; yet thus much seems undeniable, namely, that
the number of the visible feet being the same with that of the tangible
feet, I may from hence, without any experience of sight, reasonably
conclude that they represent or are connected with the feet rather than
the head. I say, it seems the idea of two visible feet will sooner suggest
to the mind the idea of two tangible feet than of one head—so that the
blind man, upon first reception of the visive faculty, might know which
were the feet or two, and which the head or one.
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