Sensory error and corrective reason

Use in the book

The examples of apparent error are deliberately varied: the sun looks small, the rapidly turning heaven still, a straight oar bent in water, the shore moving from a ship; a voice appears to come from the wrong place and sweet things taste bitter. Ficino uses the correcting power’s superiority to argue for reason’s authority. His moving heaven belongs to the historical cosmology; the reader need not endorse that example to understand its place.

The argument then limits the senses’ jurisdiction. Sight does not disclose sounds, hearing does not disclose colours, and smell does not disclose everything that exists. Their mutual correction supplies an analogy for reason’s discovery beyond the whole sensible domain. Crucially, Ficino concedes that sensation truly establishes many corporeal things and says reason would err if it denied them. The target is exclusivism: from perceiving bodies it does not follow that only bodies exist. The legal vocabulary of condemnation and refutation personifies faculties as competing witnesses, while “prophecy” marks a superior cognitive reach.

Places to read

1. VI.2.7The six sensory examples introduce reason as correcting and perfecting judgement.
2. VI.2.8The reality of bodies is conceded while the senses’ exhaustive claim is rejected.
3. VI.2.9The relative dignity of faculties leads into the argument about intellectual objects.

Translation in this edition

Reason’s reliability is argued through correction; it is not licensed to deny sensible reality. The edition retains the differing verbs of judgement, condemnation, refutation and prophecy rather than flattening them into a generic statement that reason knows better.

bicubitus

bicubitus. Printed forms: bicubitum.

Two cubits in apparent measure. The sun’s apparently small size is contrasted with its supposed true size as an example of deceptive vision. References: VI.2.7. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

conspirare; damnare; redarguere

conspirare; damnare; redarguere. Printed forms: conspirantes; damnantur; redarguuntur.

To act together, condemn and refute. The faculties are personified as witnesses whose restricted claims are corrected by others and by reason. References: VI.2.8. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

immo; tamen; nihilominus

immo; tamen; nihilominus. Printed forms: immo; Immo; Nihilominus; tamen; Verumtamen.

Rather or indeed, nevertheless and yet, marking correction or qualification. Ficino often strengthens a preceding claim or introduces a reply; the adversative must be preserved to avoid joining objection and answer into one view. References: VI.2.2, VI.2.8, VI.2.17, VI.13.5. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

iudicare; discernere

iudicare; discernere. Printed forms: discernere; discernet; discernimus; iudicabitur; iudicat; iudicaverat; iudicaverint; iudicet; iudicium.

To judge and discriminate among objects or claims. Reason corrects sensory judgements, the trained cave-prisoner distinguishes objects, and the enduring soul preserves what it once judged. References: VI.2.7, VI.2.8, VI.2.15, VI.2.17, VI.3.2, VI.12.20, VI.13.6. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

iudicium; emendare

iudicium; emendare. Printed forms: emendat; emendentur; iudicium.

Judgement and correction of error. Reason corrects sense, but would itself err if it denied that bodily things exist. References: VI.2.7, VI.2.8. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

negare; fateri; confiteri

negare; fateri; confiteri. Printed forms: confiteri; fateberis; fatebitur; fatendum; negabis; negabitis; negant; negaret; negat; negaverit.

To deny, acknowledge or confess assent. The sensory exclusivism debate and the reductios depend on what the interlocutor is compelled to admit after a branch fails. References: VI.2.8, VI.2.9, VI.2.20, VI.2.22, VI.2.26, VI.8.5, VI.12.5. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

proprium

proprium. Printed forms: propria; proprium.

What belongs specifically to a faculty or kind. The proper object of one sense does not exhaust reality, and the rational power proper to humanity motivates the next argument. References: VI.2.8, VI.2.9. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

ratio

ratio. Printed forms: ratio; ratione; rationem; rationes; rationibus; rationis.

Reason, an explanatory account or aspect, an argument, and in appropriate settings a formative pattern. Correcting reason in VI.2 differs from qua ratione in the causal tests and the inward craftsman’s rationes; these senses cannot all be replaced by rational thought. References: VI.1.1, VI.2.7, VI.2.8, VI.5.4, VI.5.5, VI.13.9. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

remus; litus; navis

remus; litus; navis. Printed forms: litus; navis; remum.

Oar, shore and ship, objects in two distinct visual examples. Water makes a straight oar appear crooked; a moving ship makes the shore appear to run. References: VI.2.7. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

sensus; sentire

sensus; sentire. Printed forms: sensu; sensum; sensus; sensuum; sentiat; sentiendi; sentient; sentire; sentit; sentitur; sentiunt.

Sense, sensing and being sensed, with external and internal functions distinguished. Sensation can disclose bodily reality while failing to exhaust what exists; the light exercises distinguish an active sensing source from a sensible manifestation. References: VI.2.1, VI.2.2, VI.2.8, VI.2.13, VI.2.26, VI.3.1, VI.13.1. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

solus; omnis; nullus

solus; omnis; nullus. Printed forms: nulla; nullam; nulli; nullo; nullum; nullus; omne; omnem; omnes; omni; omnibus; omnis; omnium; sola; solam; solis; solius; solum; solus.

Only or alone, every/all, and none, with context determining their scope. Exhaustive conclusions are often restricted to a faculty, class or hypothesis; solis can also be the genitive of sol, the sun, and must not be mechanically assigned to solus. References: VI.1.5, VI.1.6, VI.2.2, VI.2.3, VI.2.6, VI.2.8, VI.2.9, VI.4.5, VI.6.3, VI.9.3, VI.11.1, VI.12.7, VI.12.16. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

vaticinari

vaticinari. Printed forms: vaticinatur.

To prophesy or announce a reality beyond the senses’ jurisdiction. Ficino gives reason’s judgement that incorporeal things exist a deliberately heightened, affirmative voice. References: VI.2.8. See Sensory error and corrective reason.

vox; odor; sapor

vox; odor; sapor. Printed forms: amara; dulcia; odores; saporem; vocem.

Voice, odour and flavour, together with sweet and bitter predicates. The examples diversify sensory error beyond sight and show each sense’s restricted field. References: VI.2.2, VI.2.7, VI.2.8. See Sensory error and corrective reason.