The Works of George Berkeley Part 19

(M361) The trees are in the park, i.e. whether I will or no, whether I imagine anything about them or no. Let me but go thither and open my eyes by day, & I shall not avoid seeing them.

By extension blind [man] would mean either the perception caused in his touch by something he calls extended, or else the power of raising that perception; wch power is without, in the thing termed extended. Now he could not know either of these to be in things visible till he had try'd.

Geometry seems to have for its object tangible extension, figures, & motion-and not visible(212).

A man will say a body will seem as big as before, tho' the visible idea it yields be less than wt it was; therefore the bigness or tangible extension of the body is different from the visible extension.

Extension or s.p.a.ce no simple idea-length, breadth, & solidity being three several ideas.

Depth or solidity _now_ perceived by sight(213).

Strange impotence of men. Man without G.o.d wretcheder than a stone or tree; he having onely the power to be miserable by his unperformed wills, these having no power at all(214).

Length perceivable by hearing-length & breadth by sight-length, breadth, & depth by touch.

(M362) Wt affects us must be a thinking thing, for wt thinks not cannot subsist.

Number not in bodies, it being the creature of the mind, depending entirely on its consideration, & being more or less as the mind pleases(215).

Mem. Quaere whether extension be equally a sensation with colour? The mob use not the word extension. 'Tis an abstract term of the Schools.

(M363) Round figure a perception or sensation in the mind, but in the body is a power. L[ocke], b. 2. c. 8. s. 8.

Mem. Mark well the later part of the last cited section.

Solids, or any other tangible things, are no otherwise seen than colours felt by the German Count.

(M364) "Of" and "thing" causes of mistake.

The visible point of he who has microscopical eyes will not be greater or less than mine.

Qu. Whether the propositions & even axioms of geometry do not divers of them suppose the existence of lines &c. without the mind?

(M365) Whether motion be the measure of duration? Locke, b. 2. c. 14. s.

19.

Lines & points conceiv'd as terminations different ideas from those conceiv'd absolutely.

Every position alters a line.

(M366) Blind man at 1st would not take colours to be without his mind; but colours would seem to be in the same place with the coloured extension: therefore extension wd not seem to be without the mind.

All visible concentric circles whereof the eye is the centre are absolutely equal.

Infinite number-why absurd-not rightly solv'd by Locke(216).

Qu. how 'tis possible we should see flats or right lines?

Qu. why the moon appears greatest in the horizon(217)?

Qu. why we see things erect when painted inverted(218)?

(M367) Question put by Mr. Deering touching the thief and paradise.

(M368) Matter tho' allowed to exist may be no greater than a pin's head.

Motion is proportionable to s.p.a.ce described in given time.

Velocity not proportionable to s.p.a.ce describ'd in given time.

(M369) No active power but the Will: therefore Matter, if it exists, affects us not(219).

Magnitude when barely taken for the _ratio partium extra partes_, or rather for co-existence & succession, without considering the parts co-existing & succeeding, is infinitely, or rather indefinitely, or not at all perhaps, divisible, because it is itself infinite or indefinite. But definite, determined magnitudes, i.e. lines or surfaces consisting of points whereby (together wth distance & position) they are determin'd, are resoluble into those points.

Again. Magnitude taken for co-existence and succession is not all divisible, but is one simple idea.

Simple ideas include no parts nor relations-hardly separated and considered in themselves-nor yet rightly singled by any author. Instance in power, red, extension, &c.

(M370) s.p.a.ce not imaginable by any idea received from sight-not imaginable without body moving. Not even then necessarily existing (I speak of infinite s.p.a.ce)-for wt the body has past may be conceiv'd annihilated.

(M371) Qu. What can we see beside colours? what can we feel beside hard, soft, cold, warm, pleasure, pain?

Qu. Why not taste & smell extension?

Qu. Why not tangible & visible extensions thought heterogeneous extensions, so well as gustable & olefactible perceptions thought heterogeneous perceptions? or at least why not as heterogeneous as blue & red?

Moon wn horizontal does not appear bigger as to visible extension than at other times; hence difficulties and disputes about things seen under equal angles &c. cease.

All _potentiae_ alike indifferent.

A. B. Wt does he mean by his _potentia_? Is it the will, desire, person, or all or neither, or sometimes one, sometimes t'other?