



Produced by Col Choat.  HTML version by Al Haines.









An Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision


by

George Berkeley (1685-1753)



CONTENTS


Sect.

    1   Design
    2   Distance of itself invisible
    3   Remote distance perceived rather by experience than by sense
    4   Near distance thought to be perceived by the ANGLE of the
        OPTIC AXES
    5   Difference between this and the former manner of perceiving
        distance
    6   Also by diverging rays
    7   This depends not on experience
    8   These the common accounts, but not satisfactory
    9   Some IDEAS perceived by the mediation of others
   10   No IDEA which is not itself perceived, can be the means of
        perceiving another
   11   Distance perceived by means of some other IDEA
   12   Those lines and angles mentioned in optics, are not themselves
        perceived
   13   Hence the mind does not perceive distance by lines and angles
   14   Also because they have no real existence
   15   And because they are insufficient to explain the phenomena
   16   The IDEAS that suggest distance are, 1st, the sensation arising
        from the turn of the eyes
   17   Betwixt which and distance there is no necessary connection
   18   Scarce room for mistake in this matter
   19   No regard had to the angle of the OPTIC AXES
   20   Judgment of distance made with both eyes, the result of EXPERIENCE
   21   2ndly, Confusedness of appearance
   22   This the occasion of those judgments attributed to diverging rays
   23   Objection answered
   24   What deceives the