We will thus distinguish the ideas caused by the stimuli of external objects from these, that are launched by affiliation, sensation, or volition; and through our waking hours can thus purchase a knowledge of the exterior world. In our goals we can’t determine this circumstance, as a result of our energy of volition is suspended, and the stimuli of external objects are excluded; however in our waking hours we can evaluate our concepts belonging to at least one sense with those belonging to another, and might thus distinguish the ideas occasioned by irritation from those excited by sensation, volition, or association. Hence if anyone denies, that a being exists in space, he denies, that there are some other beings however that one; for to reply the query, “Where does it exist?” is only to say the state of affairs of the objects that surround it. For the portio mollis of the auditory nerve shouldn’t be unfold upon the tympanum, however upon the vestibulum, and cochlea, and semicircular canals of the ear; while between the tympanum and the growth of the auditory nerve the cavity is said by Dr. Cotunnus and Dr. Meckel to be crammed with water; as that they had incessantly observed by freezing the heads of lifeless animals before they dissected them; and water being a extra dense fluid than air is significantly better tailored to the propagation of vibrations.
5. Finally, although the figures of our bodies are in fact resembled by the figure of the part of the organ of touch, which is stimulated into movement; and that organ resembles the strong physique, which stimulates it, in its property of solidity; and although the sense of hearing resembles the vibrations of external bodies in its capability of being stimulated into motion by those vibrations; and though our different organs of sense resemble the our bodies, that stimulate them, of their capability of being stimulated by them; and we therefore become acquainted with these properties of the exterior world; but as we can repeat all these motions of our organs of sense by the efforts of volition, or in consequence of the sensation of pleasure or pain, or by their affiliation with different fibrous motions, as occurs in our reveries or in sleep, there would still appear to be some issue in demonstrating the existence of any factor external to us.
In the same method if it be requested-“When does a being exist?” The reply solely specifies the successive motions either of itself, or of different bodies; hence to say, a body exists not in time, is to say, that there’s, or was, no movement in the world. Hence, after we purchase the concept of solidity, we acquire at the identical time the concept of Figure; and this idea of determine, or motion of a part of the organ of contact, exactly resembles in its determine the figure of the body that events it; and thus precisely acquaints us with this property of the exterior world. Hence the spirit of animation at the time it communicates or receives movement from stable our bodies, should itself possess some property of solidity. When the thought of solidity is excited, as above defined, part of the intensive organ of contact is compressed by some exterior body, and this part of the sensorium so compressed exactly resembles in figure the determine of the physique that compressed it. And we’re therefore taught by expertise, that our own body and those, which we contact, can not exist in the identical part of area.
And on the time it’s stimulated into other sorts of animal motion by the particles of sapid and odorous our bodies affecting the senses of taste and odor, it should resemble these particles of flavour, and of odour, in possessing some comparable or correspondent property; and for which language has no name, unless we could use the words Saporosity and Odorosity for these common properties, that are possessed by our organs of style and scent, and by the particles of sapid and odorous bodies; because the words Tangibility and Audibility may categorical the frequent property possessed by our organs of contact, and of listening to, and by the strong our bodies, or their vibrations, which affect those organs. But though there might exist beings within the universe, that have not the property of solidity; that’s, which might possess any a part of space, at the same time that it is occupied by other bodies; yet there may be different beings, that may assume this property of solidity, or disrobe themselves of it often, as we are taught of spirits, and of angels; and it would seem, that THE SPIRIT OF ANIMATION must be endued with this property, otherwise how may it occasionally give movement to the limbs of animals?