- Rather a weak paper, I thought.
- An interesting reference to “Doubting Thomas”, who asked to touch Jesus; but, “blessed are those that have not seen1, and yet believed”, rather than “touched”.
- Author’s Conclusion: “Perhaps we trust touch more because we feel more active and in charge when we explore something by touch than through vision. This is a subjective impression, as we also actively move our eyes when we see, but the fact that we move our hands over surfaces might explain why we are also more confident in what we touch: we believe that we have actively collected and sampled the evidence, rather than passively received it. Feeling that we have ‘done this ourselves’, we are more certain that it is reliable. There could also be something even more basic and affective going on in such cases, perhaps relating to a newborn’s experience of her surroundings. It is as if we are clinging to the world rather than seeking knowledge of it. We might think we are reaching for better information when we touch the visible objects around us, but perhaps we are simply betraying a basic need for reassurance. ”.
- Maybe try to connect to my essays on Bodily sensation, ie:-
→ Extraneous Bodily Sensations2
→ Sensations as Perceptions3
→ Pains as Mental Objects4
Comment:
In-Page Footnotes
Footnote 1:
- Ie. “Seen” rather than “touched”
- See John 20:29 (John 20:29)
Text Colour Conventions (see disclaimer)
- Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2026
- Mauve: Text by correspondent(s) or other author(s); © the author(s)