94 A N T I E N T METAPHYSICS. Book 11. 



was neccflary, which he calls a common fenfe ; becaufe it has no par- 

 ticular object of its own, but perceives and compares together the ob- 

 jeds of all the other fenfes *. But I agree with Philoponus, (in the 

 end of his commentary upon the paiTage in Ariftotle t)> that this com- 

 vionfcnfe and \\\t phantafia is the fame thing ; for it is evident, that, 

 by means of s\\t phantafta^ animals do, in other Vefpe(5ls, compare their 

 perceptions, and reafon concerning them ; and why not, likewife, in 

 refpect of their difference from one another ? And the phantafia folves 

 all the difficulties ftarted by Ariftotle concerning the manner of this 

 perception, as, that it mud be , by one and the lame faculty of the 

 mind, and at the fame inftant. 



ArlRotle has been at great pains to diftinguifh ht\-^\yi\. fenjatlon and 

 wiagmation\. And his commentator Philoponus has enumeratedj 

 and very well explained, fix differences that he makes betwixt the two. 

 The firft is, that, in dreams, we undoubtedly make ufe of the imagi- 

 nation, by which, and which only, they are produced. But, in 

 dreams, the fenfes do not operate : Therefore, fenfc and imagination 

 are difTerent. The fecond is, that new-born children have the ufe of 

 their fenfes, but no imagination ; for proof of which, Philoponus fays, 

 that a child, at firft, will apply for fuck to any breaft as well as that 

 of its mother, and to any thing in the form of a breaft, though it be 

 of wood or ftone. And, though he once burn himfelf in the fire, he 

 will return to it again. Neither of which, fays Philoponus, would 

 happen, if the phantafia had retained either the image of the mother 

 and her breaft, or of the fire. The third difference Philoponus re- 

 jects, namely, that all animals have Jtnjation^ but all have not imagi^ 

 nation. The fourth difference is, thaty^-w/? is always converfant about 

 things really exiftingj whereas, the objects of imagination are often 



things 



♦ Lib 1,. De Jnima, cap. 2. See alfo his commentators Philoponus and SimpIU 

 cius upon this chapter, which appears to me to need a commentary very much, 

 t See alfo rhlL.pcmus upon the 4th chap, of book 3d, Dc y^ninia. 

 J: Lib. j. cap. 4. ibid. 



