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The "Cognoscitive Power of the Soul" unfolds and displays itself, "As the Spermatick or Plastick Power doth Virtually contain within it self, the Forms of all the Several Organical Parts of Animals, and displays them gradually and Successively, framing an Eye-here and an Ear there."

— Cudworth, Ralph (1617-1688)

Author

Cudworth, Ralph (1617-1688)

Work Title

A Treatise Concerning Eternal and Immutable Morality

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

Printed for James and John Knapton

Date

1731

Metaphor

The "Cognoscitive Power of the Soul" unfolds and displays itself, "As the Spermatick or Plastick Power doth Virtually contain within it self, the Forms of all the Several Organical Parts of Animals, and displays them gradually and Successively, framing an Eye-here and an Ear there."

Metaphor in Context

5. For the Soul having an Innate Cognoscitive Power Universally, (which is nothing else but a Power of raising Objective Ideas within it self, and Intelligible Reasons of any thing) it must needs be granted that it hath a Potential Omniformity in it. Which is not only asserted by the Platonists, that the Soul is all things Intellectually, but also by Aristotle himself That the Soul is in a manner All things. The Mind being a kind of Notional or Representative World, as it were a Diaphanous and Crystalline Sphære, In which the Ideas and Images of all things existing in the Real Universe may be reflected or represented. For as the Mind of God, which is the Archetypal Intellect, is that whereby he always actually comprehends himself, and his own Fecundity, or the Extent of his own Infinite Goodness and Power; that is, the Possibility of all things; So all Created Intellects being being certain Ectypal Models, or Derivative Compendiums of the same; although they have not the Actual Ideas of all things, much less are the Images or Sculptures of all the Several Species of existent Things fixed and engraven in a dead manner upon them; yet they have them all Virtually and Potentially comprehended in that one Cognoscitive Power of the Soul, which is a Potential Omniformity, whereby it is enabled as Occasion serves and Outward Objects invite, gradually and successively to unfold and display it self in a Vital manner, by framing Intelligible Ideas or Conceptions within it self of whatsoever hath any Entity or Cogitability. As the Spermatick or Plastick Power doth Virtually contain within it self, the Forms of all the Several Organical Parts of Animals, and displays them gradually and Successively, framing an Eye-here and an Ear there.
(IV.i.5, pp. 134-5)