Humanitext Reader

Aristotle · On the Soul §2.6

Three Kinds of Sensible Objects and Proper Sensibles

Passage 20 of 43 · Greek

Summary

The author classifies objects of sense into three kinds (proper, common, and incidental sensibles) and asserts that the proper sensibles are sensible objects in the strict sense.

§2.6Λεκτέον δὲ καθʼ ἑκάστην αἴσθησιν περὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν πρῶτον.
But we must speak concerning the objects of sense first in regard to each sense.
λέγεται δὲ τὸ αἰσθητὸν τριχῶς, ὧν δύο μὲν καθʼ αὑτά φαμεν αἰσθάνεσθαι, τὸ δὲ ἓν κατὰ συμβεβηκός.
And the object of sense is spoken of in three ways, of which we say that we sense two in themselves, and one incidentally.
τῶν δὲ δυοῖν τὸ μὲν ἴδιόν ἐστιν ἑκάστης αἰσθήσεως, τὸ δὲ κοινὸν πασῶν.
And of the two, the one is proper to each sense, and the other is common to all.
λέγω δʼ ἴδιον μὲν ὃ μὴ ἐνδέχεται ἑτέρᾳ αἰσθήσει αἰσθάνεσθαι, καὶ περὶ ὃ μὴ ἐνδέχεται ἀπατηθῆναι, οἷον ὄψις χρώματος καὶ ἀκοὴ ψόφου καὶ γεῦσις χυμοῦ, ἡ δʼ ἁφὴ πλείους ἔχει διαφοράς·
And I call proper that which cannot be sensed by another sense, and concerning which it is impossible to be deceived; for example, sight of color, hearing of sound, and taste of flavor, while touch has several differences.
ἀλλʼ ἑκάστη γε κρίνει περὶ τούτων, καὶ οὐκ ἀπατᾶται ὅτι χρῶμα οὐδʼ ὅτι ψόφος, ἀλλὰ τί τὸ κεχρωσμένον ἢ ποῦ, ἢ τί τὸ ψοφοῦν ἢ ποῦ.
But at least each of them judges concerning these, and is not deceived as to the fact that it is color nor that it is sound, but rather what the colored thing is or where, or what the sounding thing is or where.
τὰ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα λέγεται ἴδια ἑκάστης, κοινὰ δὲ κίνησις, ἠρεμία, ἀριθμός, σχῆμα, μέγεθος· τὰ γὰρ τοιαῦτα οὐδεμιᾶς ἐστὶν ἴδια, ἀλλὰ κοινὰ πάσαις.
Such things, then, are called proper to each, but common are movement, rest, number, shape, magnitude; for such things are proper to none, but common to all.
καὶ γὰρ ἁφῇ κίνησίς τίς ἐστιν αἰσθητὴ καὶ ὄψει.
For indeed by touch a certain movement is sensible, and by sight.
κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς δὲ λέγεται αἰσθητόν, οἷον εἰ τὸ λευκὸν εἴη Διάρους υἱός· κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς γὰρ τούτου αἰσθάνεται, ὅτι τῷ λευκῷ συμβέβηκε τοῦτο, οὗ αἰσθάνεται· διὸ καὶ οὐδὲν πάσχει ᾖ τοιοῦτον ὑπὸ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ.
And something is said to be an incidental object of sense, for example, if the white thing is the son of Diares; for it is incidentally that one senses this, because this is accidental to the white thing which one senses; wherefore also it undergoes nothing from the object of sense insofar as it is such.
τῶν δὲ καθʼ αὑτὰ αἰσθητῶν τὰ ἴδια κυρίως ἐστὶν αἰσθητά, καὶ πρὸς ἃ ἡ οὐσία πέφυκεν ἑκάστης αἰσθήσεως.
Of the objects of sense in themselves, the proper ones are objects of sense in the strict sense, and those to which the essence of each sense is naturally adapted.

Notes

  1. ¦6¦ὧν δύο μὲν καθʼ αὑτά φαμεν αἰσθάνεσθαι — The relative pronoun `ὧν` in the genitive is a partitive genitive whose antecedent is the 'three classes' implied by the preceding adverb `τριχῶς` (in three ways). The infinitive `αἰσθάνεσθαι` depends on `φαμεν` (we say), forming an accusative-with-infinitive construction (where the subject of the infinitive is omitted as it is identical to that of the main verb), meaning 'of which we say that we sense two in themselves.'
  2. ¦15¦ὅτι χρῶμα οὐδʼ ὅτι ψόφος, ἀλλὰ τί τὸ κεχρωσμένον — A clause introduced by the conjunction `ὅτι` (that) and an indirect question introduced by the interrogative pronoun `τί` (what) are juxtaposed as complements to the verb `ἀπατᾶται` (is deceived). The former expresses a fact ('is not deceived that it is color'), while the latter expresses an uncertain object ('but [is deceived as to] what the colored thing is'), forming a contrastive structure that requires supplying the verb 'is deceived' in the second part.
  3. ¦20¦ὅτι τῷ λευκῷ συμβέβηκε τοῦτο, οὗ αἰσθάνεται — The relative pronoun `οὗ` refers to the antecedent `τῷ λευκῷ` (the white thing), and its genitive case is governed by the verb `αἰσθάνεται` (senses) via case-attraction. `τοῦτο` (this) refers to 'being the son of Diares.' The clause means 'because this is accidental to the white thing which he senses,' syntactically demonstrating that the direct object of sensation is 'the white thing,' while 'the son of Diares' is merely an incidental (accidental) object.

Cite this passage

Aristotle, On the Soul §2.6. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg002.humanitext-grc2:2.6

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.