Robert Kilwardby on Sense Perception

Abstract

My aim in this paper is to analyse Robert Kilwardby’s conception of sense-perception in his work De spiritu fantastico.1 I’ll particularly focus on the distinction between corporeal and incorporeal sensitive spirit and the organ of the common sense, paying attention to four main ideas in Kilwardby’s theory of senseperception: there is no knowledge of sensible objects prior to the use of senses, the activity of the incorporeal sensitive spirit is the cause of perception, the process of sense-perception implies a clear separation of the immaterial and material (or corporeal) elements involved in perception, and finally the conciliatory attitude towards the theories of Aristotle and Augustine. In an article published in 1926, Chenu attributed the work De spiritu ymaginativo to the Provincial of England (1261–72) and later Archbishop of Canterbury (1972–78) Robert Kilwardby.2 He also established as a probable date of composition the period after Kilwardby’s admittance to the Dominican Order, during his teaching in Oxford from 1250 to 1261. In an article of 1984, Lewry confirmed this same period of composition.3 According to him the knowledge of Augustine shown in this text by Kilwardby is not compatible with the writings from the time when Kilwardby was a Master of Arts in Paris (between 1237 and 40/5).4