on the soul-第20节

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h　is　not　stationary　has　soul　without　sensation。　　　But　if　a　body　has　sensation；　it　must　be　either　simple　or　compound。　And　simple　it　cannot　be；　for　then　it　could　not　have　touch；　which　is　indispensable。　This　is　clear　from　what　follows。　An　animal　is　a　body　with　soul　in　it：　every　body　is　tangible；　i。e。　perceptible　by　touch；　hence　necessarily；　if　an　animal　is　to　survive；　its　body　must　have　tactual　sensation。　All　the　other　senses；　e。g。　smell；　sight；　hearing；　apprehend　through　media；　but　where　there　is　immediate　contact　the　animal；　if　it　has　no　sensation；　will　be　unable　to　avoid　some　things　and　take　others；　and　so　will　find　it　impossible　to　survive。　That　is　why　taste　also　is　a　sort　of　touch；　it　is　relative　to　nutriment；　which　is　just　tangible　body；　whereas　sound；　colour；　and　odour　are　innutritious；　and　further　neither　grow　nor　decay。　Hence　it　is　that　taste　also　must　be　a　sort　of　touch；　because　it　is　the　sense　for　what　is　tangible　and　nutritious。　　　Both　these　senses；　then；　are　indispensable　to　the　animal；　and　it　is　clear　that　without　touch　it　is　impossible　for　an　animal　to　be。　All　the　other　senses　subserve　well…being　and　for　that　very　reason　belong　not　to　any　and　every　kind　of　animal；　but　only　to　some；　e。g。　those　capable　of　forward　movement　must　have　them；　for；　if　they　are　to　survive；　they　must　perceive　not　only　by　immediate　contact　but　also　at　a　distance　from　the　object。　This　will　be　possible　if　they　can　perceive　through　a　medium；　the　medium　being　affected　and　moved　by　the　perceptible　object；　and　the　animal　by　the　medium。　just　as　that　which　produces　local　movement　causes　a　change　extending　to　a　certain　point；　and　that　which　gave　an　impulse　causes　another　to　produce　a　new　impulse　so　that　the　movement　traverses　a　medium　the　first　mover　impelling　without　being　impelled；　the　last　moved　being　impelled　without　impelling；　while　the　medium　（or　media；　for　there　are　many）　is　both…so　is　it　also　in　the　case　of　alteration；　except　that　the　agent　produces　produces　it　without　the　patient's　changing　its　place。　Thus　if　an　object　is　dipped　into　wax；　the　movement　goes　on　until　submersion　has　taken　place；　and　in　stone　it　goes　no　distance　at　all；　while　in　water　the　disturbance　goes　far　beyond　the　object　dipped：　in　air　the　disturbance　is　propagated　farthest　of　all；　the　air　acting　and　being　acted　upon；　so　long　as　it　maintains　an　unbroken　unity。　That　is　why　in　the　case　of　reflection　it　is　better；　instead　of　saying　that　the　sight　issues　from　the　eye　and　is　reflected；　to　say　that　the　air；　so　long　as　it　remains　one；　is　affected　by　the　shape　and　colour。　On　a　smooth　surface　the　air　possesses　unity；　hence　it　is　that　it　in　turn　sets　the　sight　in　motion；　just　as　if　the　impression　on　the　wax　were　transmitted　as　far　as　the　wax　extends。

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　　It　is　clear　that　the　body　of　an　animal　cannot　be　simple；　i。e。　consist　of　one　element　such　as　fire　or　air。　For　without　touch　it　is　impossible　to　have　any　other　sense；　for　every　body　that　has　soul　in　it　must；　as　we　have　said；　be　capable　of　touch。　All　the　other　elements　with　the　exception　of　earth　can　constitute　organs　of　sense；　but　all　of　them　bring　about　perception　only　through　something　else；　viz。　through　the　media。　Touch　takes　place　by　direct　contact　with　its　objects；　whence　also　its　name。　All　the　other　organs　of　sense；　no　doubt；　perceive　by　contact；　only　the　contact　is　mediate：　touch　alone　perceives　by　immediate　contact。　Consequently　no　animal　body　can　consist　of　these　other　elements。　　　Nor　can　it　consist　solely　of　earth。　For　touch　is　as　it　were　a　mean　between　all　tangible　qualities；　and　its　organ　is　capable　of　receiving　not　only　all　the　specific　qualities　which　characterize　earth；　but　also　the　hot　and　the　cold　and　all　other　tangible　qualities　whatsoever。　That　is　why　we　have　no　sensation　by　means　of　bones；　hair；　&c。；　because　they　consist　of　earth。　So　too　plants；　because　they　consist　of　earth；　have　no　sensation。　Without　touch　there　can　be　no　other　sense；　and　the　organ　of　touch　cannot　consist　of　earth　or　of　any　other　single　element。　　　It　is　evident；　therefore；　that　the　loss　of　this　one　sense　alone　must　bring　about　the　death　of　an　animal。　For　as　on　the　one　hand　nothing　which　is　not　an　animal　can　have　this　sense；　so　on　the　other　it　is　the　only　one　which　is　indispensably　necessary　to　what　is　an　animal。　This　explains；　further；　the　following　difference　between　the　other　senses　and　touch。　In　the　case　of　all　the　others　excess　of　intensity　in　the　qualities　which　they　apprehend；　i。e。　excess　of　intensity　in　colour；　sound；　and　smell；　destroys　not　the　but　only　the　organs　of　the　sense　（except　incidentally；　as　when　the　sound　is　accompanied　by　an　impact　or　shock；　or　where　through　the　objects　of　sight　or　of　smell　certain　other　things　are　set　in　motion；　which　destroy　by　contact）；　flavour　also　destroys　only　in　so　far　as　it　is　at　the　same　time　tangible。　But　excess　of　intensity　in　tangible　qualities；　e。g。　heat；　cold；　or　hardness；　destroys　the　animal　itself。　As　in　the　case　of　every　sensible　quality　excess　destroys　the　organ；　so　here　what　is　tangible　destroys　touch；　which　is　the　essential　mark　of　life；　for　it　has　been　shown　that　without　touch　it　is　impossible　for　an　animal　to　be。　That　is　why　excess　in　intensity　of　tangible　qualities　destroys　not　merely　the　organ；　but　the　animal　itself；　because　this　is　the　only　sense　which　it　must　have。　　　All　the　other　senses　are　necessary　to　animals；　as　we　have　said；　not　for　their　being；　but　for　their　well…being。　Such；　e。g。　is　sight；　which；　since　it　lives　in　air　or　water；　or　generally　in　what　is　pellucid；　it　must　have　in　order　to　see；　and　taste　because　of　what　is　pleasant　or　painful　to　it；　in　order　that　it　may　perceive　these　qualities　in　its　nutriment　and　so　may　desire　to　be　set　in　motion；　and　hearing　that　it　may　have　communication　made　to　it；　and　a　tongue　that　it　may　communicate　with　its　fellows。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END　。