Shall we have recourse to the (Stoic) "continuity of parts"[359]
to explain the sympathy which interrelates all the organs? This
hypothesis, however, is useless, unless this continuity eventuate
in unity. For we cannot admit, as do certain (Stoic) philosophers,
who deceive themselves, that sensations focus in the "predominating
principle" by "relayed transmission."[360] To begin with, it is a wild
venture to predicate a "predominating principle" of the soul. How
indeed could we divide the soul and distinguish several parts therein?
By what superiority, quantity or quality are we going to distinguish
the "predominating part" in a single continuous mass? Further, under
this hypothesis, we may ask, Who is going to feel? Will it be the
"predominating part" exclusively, or the other parts with it? If that
part exclusively, it will feel only so long as the received impression
will have been transmitted to itself, in its particular residence; but
if the impression impinge on some other part of the soul, which happens
to be incapable of sensation, this part will not be able to transmit
the impression to the (predominating) part that directs, and sensation
will not occur. Granting further that the impression does reach the
predominating part itself, it might be received in a twofold manner;
either by one of its (subdivided) parts, which, having perceived the
sensation, will not trouble the other parts to feel it, which would be
useless; or, by several parts simultaneously, and then we will have
manifold, or even infinite sensations which will all differ from each
other. For instance, the one might say, "It is I who first received
the impression"; the other one might say, "I received the impression
first received by another"; while each, except the first, will be
in ignorance of the location of the impression; or again, each part
will make a mistake, thinking that the impression occurred where
itself is. Besides, if every part of the soul can feel as well as the
predominating part, why at all speak of a "predominating part?" What
need is there for the sensation to reach through to it? How indeed
would the soul recognize as an unity the result of multiple sensations;
for instance, of such as come from the ears or eyes?