Perceptible objects are divided into three kinds: two are perceived intrinsically (special and common sensibles) and one is perceived only coincidentally.

By Aristotle, from On the Soul

Key Arguments

  • He starts by tying the analysis of perception to its objects: 'We should speak first about the perceptible objects of each given perceptual capacity.'
  • He explicitly introduces a threefold division: 'Things, though, are said to be perceptible objects in three ways.'
  • He distinguishes intrinsic from coincidental perception: 'Of these, we say that we perceive two intrinsically, and one coincidentally.'
  • He further divides the intrinsically perceptible into two kinds: 'And of the two, one is special to a given perceptual capacity, the other common | 418 a 10 | to all.'

Source Quotes

II 6 We should speak first about the perceptible objects of each given perceptual capacity. Things, though, are said to be perceptible objects in three ways.
II 6 We should speak first about the perceptible objects of each given perceptual capacity. Things, though, are said to be perceptible objects in three ways. Of these, we say that we perceive two intrinsically, and one coincidentally.
Things, though, are said to be perceptible objects in three ways. Of these, we say that we perceive two intrinsically, and one coincidentally. And of the two, one is special to a given perceptual capacity, the other common | 418 a 10 | to all.
Of these, we say that we perceive two intrinsically, and one coincidentally. And of the two, one is special to a given perceptual capacity, the other common | 418 a 10 | to all. By a special object I mean whatever cannot be perceived by another perceptual capacity, and about which we cannot be deceived—for example, sight is of color, hearing of sound, taste of flavor, whereas touch has several different ones.

Key Concepts

  • We should speak first about the perceptible objects of each given perceptual capacity.
  • Things, though, are said to be perceptible objects in three ways.
  • Of these, we say that we perceive two intrinsically, and one coincidentally.
  • And of the two, one is special to a given perceptual capacity, the other common | 418 a 10 | to all.

Context

Opening of II.6 (418a3–10), where Aristotle sets up a basic taxonomy of perceptible objects as a prelude to his analysis of each sense.