78. Falsity in Things and the Senses

Subscribe in Podcast App | Download Transcript

Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

• The Definition and Location of Falsity: Whether falsity exists in things themselves, in sensory perception, or only in the intellect
• False Things: Objects that appear to be what they are not through external likeness (false teeth, fool’s gold)
• Falsity Relative to Understanding: How things are false only in relation to our understanding, not to divine understanding
• Sensory Deception: How the senses can be deceived regarding common and accidental sensibles, but rarely about private sensibles
• The Role of Organ Disposition: How the physical condition of sensory organs affects the accuracy of perception
• Optical Illusions: Systematic ways that visual perception can be deceived through arrangement of sensible qualities

Key Arguments #

On the Nature of False Things #

• Augustine’s Position: A thing is called false by way of definition if it is apt to make a false opinion about itself
• Three Categories of False Things:
  1. Things that resemble something other than what they are (fool’s gold, false honey, rhinestones)
  2. Artificial things that fall short of their intended form
  3. Things known primarily through accidents rather than through their nature
• Resolution: A thing is false not in absolute being but relative to how it appears to understanding and how it produces false judgment

On Falsity in the Senses #

• Aristotle’s Principle: Falsehood is not proper to the senses but to imagination
• Augustine’s Principle: Senses announce only how they are affected; they cannot be deceived about their own affection
• The Problem Resolved: Senses are not deceived about sensing itself, but are deceived when they announce things to be other than they are due to:
  • Organ indisposition (e.g., a diseased tongue making sweet taste bitter)
  • Judgment about common and accidental sensibles (not private sensibles)

The Threefold Distinction of Sensibles #

Aristotle distinguishes three types of sensible objects:

1. Private/Proper Sensibles (sensibilia per se primo): Known by one sense only (color by sight, hardness by touch)

   • Senses are rarely deceived about these unless the organ is indisposed

2. Common Sensibles (sensibilia per se sed non primo): Known by multiple senses (shape, magnitude, motion, rest)

   • Can be the subject of deception because known indirectly through private sensibles
   • Example: optical illusions where lines appear bent or unequal in length

3. Accidental Sensibles (sensibilia per accidens): Objects known through something else (knowing a man through his color)

   • Most prone to deception
   • Example: fool’s gold deceives because we sense the color of gold, not gold as such

Important Definitions #

• False (falsum): That which is apt to produce a false opinion about itself; that which appears to be what it is not
• Falsity (falsitas): The absence of conformity between intellect and reality; occurs when the intellect judges something to be other than it actually is
• Organ Indisposition (indispositio organi): When a sensory organ fails to receive sensible forms properly due to damage or disease
• Sensible as Such (sensibile ut sic): The proper object of sensation; what is known directly through sensation
• Sensible by Accident (sensibile per accidens): What is known through sensation indirectly, through its accidents rather than its nature
• Private Sensible (sensibile proprium): What can be perceived by only one sense
• Common Sensible (sensibile commune): What can be perceived by more than one sense

Examples & Illustrations #

False Things #

• False Teeth: Called false because they appear to be real teeth but are not; they deceive through external likeness
• Fool’s Gold: A metallic mineral that resembles gold in color but lacks the nature of gold
• False Honey (mel falsum): Tin made to appear like honey
• Rhinestone: A cheaper stone that appears to be a diamond
• The Tragedian Playing Hector: Called a “false Hector” because he resembles Hector but is not Hector (from Augustine’s Soliloquies)

Sensory Deception Examples #

• Optical Illusions: Two lines of equal length appearing unequal when horizontal marks (like arrow heads) are added to their ends; demonstrates systematic deception regarding common sensible of length
• Corrupted Taste: When the tongue is diseased or indisposed, sweet things taste bitter
• Eating Before Tasting Wine: Eating candy or hot foods before wine tasting corrupts the sense of taste and prevents judging wine as it actually is
• Smoking Before Wine: A person who smokes immediately before tasting wine cannot properly judge the wine; more pronounced in non-regular smokers
• Temperature Perception: A person sitting idle in a cold room feels colder than someone actively working; body disposition affects how temperature is sensed
• Eating Orange After Candy: An orange tastes almost bitter when eaten after candy due to the indisposed state of the tongue

Cases of Confused Likeness #

• The Jesus Tomb Discovery: A tomb with names “Jesus” and “Mary” is confused with the tomb of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, despite these being common names; shows how superficial likeness deceives
• The Travel Agency Anecdote: A travel agent’s mention of “Lithuanian airline” creates false expectations through likeness to familiar airline names, causing false opinion about the trip
• April Fool’s Deception: A credible false story is believed because it has the likeness of something that would actually be said and done by the person in question

Questions Addressed #

Is Falsity Found in Things? #

Resolution: Falsity is not in things absolutely, but only relative to understanding:

• In relation to divine understanding: things are not false, as they conform to God’s knowledge
• In relation to our understanding: things can be called false when they have likeness to something other than what they are and are apt to produce false opinion
• Artificial things can be called false simply when they fail to achieve the form intended by the artist
• Natural things are called false only in some respect (relative to our judgment)

Is Falsity in the Senses? #

Resolution: Falsity is found in the senses only in a limited sense:

• About Private Sensibles: Senses are not deceived about their proper objects (color, sound, taste) unless the organ is indisposed
• About Common Sensibles: Senses can be deceived about magnitude, shape, and motion when these are judged through indisposed organs or through optical illusions
• About Accidental Sensibles: Senses are most easily deceived about what is known indirectly through accidents (fool’s gold)
• The Key Principle: Senses cannot be deceived about the fact that they are affected; they are deceived only about what they announce based on that affection