“If olfaction were his most important sense, man’s linguistic incapacity to describe olfactory sensations would turn him into a creature tied to his environment. Because they are ephemeral, olfactory sensations can never provide a persistent stimulus of thought. Thus the development of the sense of smell seems to be inversely related to the development of intelligence.” – ALAIN CORBIN
Tag Archives: intellectual history
Psychological irrelevance
“Taste, smell, as well as hunger, thirst, nausea, and other so-called ‘common’ sensations need not be touched on in this book, as almost nothing of psychological interest is known concerning them.” – WILLIAM JAMES
Let us scent your fragrance!
“Go on, O Lord, and make an end of it, stir us up, and call us back; kindle us and pluck us to thee, be fragrant, and grow sweet unto us.” – AUGUSTINE
Magic
“Magic, in order to achieve its greatest potency, must enter through the nose.” -Â BRONISLAW MALINOWSKI
“I sense therefore I am”
Cogito ergo sum is often regarded as the fundamental element of Western thought that laid the grounds for rationalism, scientific progress and modern dichotomies: I think, therefore I am. The title of this post is less well known: I sense therefore I am.
Of our delight in smelling
“As for the tempting delight of sweet smells, I am not too much taken with it. When I miss them, I do not seek them; when I may have them, I do not refuse them: yet also ready always to be without them.” – AUGUSTINE (354-430) Continue reading Of our delight in smelling