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Metaphysics (1.1.1-1.1.5)

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg025.perseus-eng2:1.1.1-1.1.5
Refs {'start': {'reference': '1.1.1', 'human_reference': 'Book 1 Section 1 Subsection 1'}, 'end': {'reference': '1.1.5', 'human_reference': 'Book 1 Section 1 Subsection 5'}}
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980a
21
All men naturally desire knowledge. An indication of this is our esteem for the senses; for apart from their use we esteem them for their own sake, and most of all the sense of sight. Not only with a view to action, but even when no action is contemplated, we prefer sight, generally speaking, to all the other senses.

The reason of this is that of all the senses sight best helps us to know things, and reveals many distinctions.

Now animals are by nature born with the power of sensation, and from this some acquire the faculty of memory, whereas others do not.

980b
21
Accordingly the former are more intelligent and capable of learning than those which cannot remember.

Such as cannot hear sounds (as the bee, and any other similar type of creature) are intelligent, but cannot learn; those only are capable of learning which possess this sense in addition to the faculty of memory.

Thus the other animals live by impressions and memories, and have but a small share of experience; but the human race lives also by art and reasoning.

It is from memory that men acquire experience, because the numerous memories of the same thing eventually produce the effect of a single experience.

981a
1
Experience seems very similar to science and art,

but actually it is through experience that men acquire science and art; for as Polus rightly says, experience produces art, but inexperience chance. [*] Art is produced when from many notions of experience a single universal judgement is formed with regard to like objects.

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