A systematic investigation of sense-perception. Aristotle examines each of the five senses in turn — sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch — asking what the physical medium of each sense is and how the sense organ receives the form of its object without the matter.
Start ReadingIntroduction to the study of sensation. Aristotle explains how sense-perception relates to the soul and establishes the framework for examining each sense in turn.
An analysis of sight and colour — how the eye perceives, what colour is, and why different surfaces appear different colours.
Hearing and sound. Aristotle examines how the ear perceives sounds, what makes sounds high or low, and the physical conditions that produce different tones.
Smell and odour. Aristotle examines the mechanism of olfaction, the classification of odours, and why smell is the least precise of the human senses.
Taste and flavour. Aristotle analyses the different types of flavour — sweet, bitter, sour, salt — and explains how the tongue perceives them through contact with dissolved substances.
Touch and the common sensibles. Aristotle examines the sense of touch, which perceives multiple qualities (hot/cold, wet/dry, hard/soft), and discusses properties perceived by more than one sense.
The unity of the senses and general principles of perception. Aristotle considers how the different senses work together and examines the limits and reliability of sense-perception as a source of knowledge.