The Objection from Touch: Sensation, Extension, and the Soul in Augustineâs The Quantity of the Soul
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Abstract
In The Quantity of the Soul, Augustine puts forward the view that the soul is immaterial and that its quantity (quantitas) must be understood in terms of power rather than spatial extension. Against this view, his friend and interlocutor Evodius raises an important objection, The Objection from Touch, which argues that the soulâs exercise of tactile sensation requires that it be extended through the parts of the body. This paper examines Evodiusâs objection and Augustineâs response to it. Particular attention is given to certain features of Augustineâs theory of sensation that this exchange reveals, especially his view that the eyes undergo passion-at-a-distance or are acted on at a place where they are not present.
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The Objection from Touch: Sensation, Extension, and the Soul in Augustineâs The Quantity of the Soul
In: History of Philosophy & Logical AnalysisSearch for other papers by Blake D. Dutton in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
In The Quantity of the Soul, Augustine puts forward the view that the soul is immaterial and that its quantity (quantitas) must be understood in terms of power rather than spatial extension. Against this view, his friend and interlocutor Evodius raises an important objection, The Objection from Touch, which argues that the soulâs exercise of tactile sensation requires that it be extended through the parts of the body. This paper examines Evodiusâs objection and Augustineâs response to it. Particular attention is given to certain features of Augustineâs theory of sensation that this exchange reveals, especially his view that the eyes undergo passion-at-a-distance or are acted on at a place where they are not present.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 418 | 124 | 5 |
| Full Text Views | 37 | 7 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 69 | 16 | 0 |
