# CXCVIII explained — Philosophical Works

> Chapter companion for Philosophical Works by René Descartes.

## What happens

Descartes argues that the senses only perceive figure, magnitude, and motion of external objects, and that all sensations (including light, sound, pain) arise from local motion of the nerves. He concludes that qualities like color, smell, taste, and heat are not in objects themselves but are merely dispositions of objects to move our nerves in various ways.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mind-Body Dualism

The chapter distinguishes between the soul's sensations and the purely mechanical motions of the body, reinforcing the dualist separation.

### Reason and Method

Descartes applies a methodical reasoning to deduce that only figure, magnitude, and motion are truly in external objects, rejecting unobservable qualities.

## Character check-ins

### Narrator

The narrator presents the argument that sensory qualities are reducible to motion and figure.

### René Descartes

Descartes is the philosopher advancing the mechanistic view of perception.

## Key lines

> we in no way likewise apprehend that in external objects, which we call light, colour, smell, taste, sound, heat or cold, and the other tactile qualities, or that which we call their substantial forms, unless as the various dispositions of these objects which have the power of moving our nerves in various ways.

We do not perceive light, color, smell, taste, sound, heat, cold, or other tactile qualities as they exist in objects; rather, we perceive only the dispositions of objects to move our nerves in different ways.

_This summarizes Descartes' conclusion that sensory qualities are not inherent in objects but are effects of motion on the senses._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/philosophical_works_se/chapters/cxcviii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/philosophical_works_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/philosophical_works_se/chapters