空氣如何容受顏色？──亞里斯多德論中介物、光、與視覺

How Does Air Receive Color? Aristotle on the Medium, Light, and Vision

本文嘗試重建亞里斯多德如何看待中介物空氣容受顏色，給予《靈魂論》第二書第七章418a26-b20這個段落一個新的詮釋。亞里斯多德分兩個方向進行這項探究。一方面，我論述亞里斯多德嘗試建立一個視覺事件的因果發生序列，顏色是整個視覺事件因果發生序列的動力因起點，使得中介物諸如空氣等透明事物產生變動。而這項變動是一項性質變化。另一方面，透過考察亞里斯多德透過對於光的探究，我指出，處於實現狀態的透明事物，應該理解為展現其與火或此類物體同一的透明本性，是透明事物歷經變動的必要條件。如果上述關於空氣如何容受顏色的解讀是正確的，或許可以為視覺感官如何接受視覺對象的形式（De anima 2.12, 414a18-19）提供新的思考方向。 In this paper I reconstruct how Aristotle sees the medium receiving color in De anima 2.7, 418a26-b20 and offer my own interpretation. I argue that Aristotle intends to establish a causal chain for a perception event, which begins with the color of the perceived object as the efficient explanation of the whole causal chain. And color moves the medium, i.e., something transparent such as air, in the manner of alteration. On the other hand, I argue that we should construe the actuality of the transparent thing to be the state of exhibiting the nature of transparency, which air shares with things such as fire. And receiving color in the transparent thing requires the transparent thing to be in actuality. If this line of interpretation is correct, it may reshape the current reading of how the faculty of perception ＂receives form without matter＂ (De anima 2.12, 414a18-19).