2 - The medium

Summary

Introduction

In this chapter I want to explain how, according to Aristotle, the medium of perception works. The discussion focuses on the medium of vision, that is, the transparent. In chapter I we saw how the transparent dominates Aristotle's account of the sense-organ of vision. Aristotle said that the inside of the eye had to be actually transparent (light) just as the medium in between the sense-object and the eye had to be actually transparent. I argued that this meant that the inside of the eye had to be transparent in order to be able to receive the sense-quality and mediate it to the seat of perception around the heart. The role of the transparent both outside the eye and inside the eye was to mediate the sense-quality.

In this chapter I shall inquire into the role of the transparent as a medium. This inquiry follows on the argument of chapter I. For if I was right in chapter I, this inquiry will not only affect the way we understand the transparent medium in between the eye and the sense-object as working but also the way in which we understand the transparent inside the eye as working for, according to chapter I, the role of the transparent inside the eye was the same as the transparent outside the eye.