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Single Idea 16725

[from 'Posterior Analytics' by Aristotle, in 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / d. Secondary qualities ]

Full Idea

The loss of any one of the senses entails the loss of a corresponding portion of knowledge, and since we learn either by induction or by demonstration, this knowledge cannot be acquired.

Gist of Idea

Some knowledge is lost if you lose a sense, and there is no way the knowledge can be replaced

Source

Aristotle (Posterior Analytics [c.327 BCE], 81a37)

Book Reference

Aristotle: 'The Basic Works of Aristotle', ed/tr. McKeon,Richard [Modern Library Classics 2001], p.135


A Reaction

This suggests Jackson's 'knowledge argument', that raw experience contains some genuine knowledge, for which there is no mechanistic substitute. Not that I accept….

Related Idea

Idea 16726 Why can't we deduce secondary qualities from primary ones, if they cause them? [Buridan]