The Stoic Creed - College of Stoic Philosophers

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76 THE STOIC CREED
looked upon by the Stoics as itself material,
if we
press home the doctrine of Cleanthes that the impres
sions themselves are actual dints or prints upon the
soul, further objections, as specially directed against
crude materialism, will not be wanting. But if, on the
other hand, we neglect for the moment the Stoic
machinery or mechanism of perception,
and fix our
attention on the fact of certitude connected with per
ception that was intended to be expressed, then perhaps
we may find here, not an inane conception, but a point
of real significance.
Not only are the Stoics explaining
the mode of perception (in which they are necessarily
crude), they are also aiming at supplying a Criterion
of Truth ;
and that criterion they declare to be the
power that the mind has of laying hold of reality
through the strength and clearness of consentient
impressions, as proved by the undoubting conviction
of the percipient at least, if the percipient be a wise
man. It is quite true that this last qualification, if
the percipient be a wise man," leaves a margin of
difficulty, and opens the door to the objection (urged,
as a matter of fact, in olden times against the Stoics)
that you have only to claim to be yourself the wise
man and to dub the man who disagrees with you a
fool, and the matter is ended. But this objection is
inconclusive and superficial. For we must not forget
that we do all of us, whether Stoics or not, consciously
or unconsciously, guide ourselves, in the matter of
sense-perception, by an ideal or absolutely normal
standard : we suppose healthy perfectly-working sense
organs (eyes, for instance, uninjured
and free from
visual defect) and a healthy mind, free from aberration ;