A perception, it is of a necessity older than the sun and moon, and the Father of the Gods.
A perception, it is of a necessity older than the sun and moon, and the Father of the Gods.
It is significant that Emerson says “is of a necessity.” We should not ignore this phrase or trivialize its meaning. The sun, the moon, and the Father of the Gods are all concepts. We may link these concepts with sensations; they may have been stimulated by sensations; but they are NOT pre-existing, pre-defined, external objects that force themselves on our senses. We create them in the act of perception, in the act of uniting sensory or mental stimuli with thought. The process of perception must come first. There is no other choice.
This page is the commentary on Page 36