Hitherto Unpublished Works, Fascicle 14

It must be understood, however, that this harmony: a balanced proportion of qualities original: "armonia" and middle nature: a state of being balanced between extremes original: "natura media" is not like a color found between white and black, or like lukewarmness between heat and cold, and so on for all others. Therefore, it is not a "middle" in the sense of a common material being: physical existence as found in non-living matter original: "esse materiali communiter existenti" that exists only through the meeting of inanimate extremes, as happens with middle colors and other things. Instead, through the power of the generating soul: the life force responsible for growth and development original: "generantis anime" and the power of the heavens, the elements are raised above the common state of inanimate objects and even plants. They reach the most noble being: the highest level of physical perfection original: "esse nobilissimum" that they can possess in nature. Then, according to this state, which is called spiritual being: a refined, non-coarse state of matter suitable for perception original: "esse spirituale" in comparison to every other previous state, the elements constitute the organ of touch. According to a similar state required for the other senses, the elements in the instrument of sight create a middle nature for their sensory objects under a similar and spiritual state, not as it is in middle colors, and so on for the others.

folio 62, verso, column 1 Since all other sensory perceptions are caused by tangible things: objects that can be touched original: "tangibilia" in whatever state they exist, that state which is called the spiritual sensory: the refined state required for sensation original: "spirituale sensitivum" of any sense is the immediate preparation for its specific sensory power. Nature designed this for the safety of the organ and the power, so the power might more easily and quickly perceive an imbalance or an intensity of the sensory object that might hurt or destroy it. This follows the opinion of Avicenna: the Persian philosopher Ibn Sina, whose work on psychology was central to medieval science in the second book of On the Soul original: "de Anima". He states: "a contrary disposition existing in an animal makes it perceive the opposite more quickly." This is evident because when we are cold, we perceive heat more quickly, and vice versa. Because of the frequent conflicts of intense sensory objects, it was necessary for the sense to have something contrary to these sensory extremes. However, only a "middle" is contrary to both extremes. Therefore, a middle nature was needed to complete the organ. Yet, it should not be a middle in the material state: the physical substance of the objects themselves original: "esse materiali" of the extremes, just as paleness is a middle between colors. If it were, it would not sense or distinguish between those middle states. For this reason, it had to be a "middle" in a different way, so it would be distant not only from the extremes but also from the material middle between the extremes. Although it is called "spiritual" compared to the extremes and other material middles, it is still something material in itself. This is because it is a bodily form: a physical shaping of matter original: "forma corporalis". For this reason, it can have some form of opposition or differen...