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Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to Himself - College of Stoic Philosophers

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in 4 STOIC DOGMA Ixxv<br />

which marks the thoughts even <strong>of</strong> a writer so keenly<br />

alive <strong>to</strong> altruistic and social obligation as <strong>Marcus</strong> <strong>Aurelius</strong>.<br />

4. Knowledge and Perception<br />

Such was the organism <strong>of</strong> the soul, by means <strong>of</strong> which<br />

perception, judgment, knowledge, and will were effectuated<br />

and unified. Knowledge was based upon material<br />

sense-perception. Through the senses the mind had<br />

contact with external objects, and perception was ex-<br />

made upon the soul, 1<br />

plained as<br />

'<br />

an impression '<br />

or, in<br />

more guarded language, as a '<br />

2<br />

modification <strong>of</strong> the soul,'<br />

produced by the impact <strong>of</strong> types or images <strong>of</strong> the objects<br />

<strong>of</strong> sense. Perception then is an affection or movement<br />

within the soul produced by an impulse from without ;<br />

but the active and motive power in perception is<br />

regarded as proceeding in the main from the thing<br />

perceived, 3 not as supplied or emitted by the percipient ;<br />

the soul is mainly passive, though in the act <strong>of</strong> per-<br />

ception the response elicited from the percipient implies<br />

an answering activity in the percipient's consciousness.<br />

The perception itself does not originate in a movement<br />

or activity <strong>of</strong> consciousness, but is rather a result or con-<br />

tent <strong>of</strong> consciousness called in<strong>to</strong> play by an outer force.<br />

Sensation entertains the impression, and conscious per-<br />

ception results. Such sense -perceptions are <strong>of</strong> very<br />

different kinds, and vary according <strong>to</strong> their relation <strong>to</strong><br />

the object which they reproduce : perceptions frequently<br />

1 Ti/Troxns tv<br />

3 Almost all Greek schools, not excluding the Pla<strong>to</strong>nic, treat<br />

perception and thought as communicated from without.

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