sensible species

philosophy

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July 13, 2026

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In Thomistic philosophy, a "sensible species" refers to an object as it is perceived through the senses. This is contrasted with an "intelligible species," which is an object apprehended through intellectual cognition.12

Aristotle's epistemology describes how the senses receive the "form of sensible objects without the matter," akin to a wax tablet receiving an impression. This process is fundamental to how we gain knowledge of the external world, forming the basis for higher intellectual understanding. The concept of "sensible species" is a key element in understanding how sensory experience is processed and becomes the raw material for thought.321

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$optical illusion: refraction of light$
epistemology
Aristotle
That stimulation causes a “sensible species” to be generated in the sense organ itself. The “species” is some sort of representation of the object sensed. As Aristotle describes the process, the sense organ receives “the form of sensible objects without the matter, just as the wax receives the impression…
Read More
That stimulation causes a “sensible species” to be generated in the sense organ itself. The “species” is some sort of representation of the object sensed. As Aristotle describes the process, the sense organ receives “the form of sensible objects without the matter, just as the wax receives the impression…
Read More