The Molyneux problem | History of Philosophy | 17-4-2020 | Sumer Sen

a) Molyneux
- Dublin, 1656-1698
- Wealthy family
- A variety of interests: law, politics, philosophy
- Translation of Meditations(1680), Dioptrica nova(1692)
- Founder of the Dublin Philosophical Society in 1683
- Marriage to Lucy Domville
- Known for Molyneux’s problem

2. Molyneux’s problem
2.1 First formulation
Dublin July. 7. 88
A Problem Proposed to the Author of the Essai Philosophique concernant
L’Entendement
A Man, being born blind, and having a Globe and a Cube, nigh of the same bignes,
Committed into his Hands, and being taught or Told, which is Called the Globe,
and which the Cube, so as easily to distinguish them by his Touch or Feeling; Then
both being taken from Him, and Laid on a Table, Let us Suppose his Sight
Restored to Him; Whether he Could, by his Sight, and before he touch them, know
which is the Globe and which the Cube? Or Whether he Could know by his
Sight, before he stretch’d out his Hand, whether he Could not Reach them,
tho they were Removed 20 or 1000 feet from Him?
If the Learned and Ingenious Author of the Forementiond Treatise think this
Problem Worth his Consideration and Answer, He may at any time Direct it to One
that Much Esteems him, and is,
His Humble Servant
William Molyneux
High Ormonds Gate in Dublin. Ireland
2.2 Second formulation
Dublin March 3. 92/3
2.3 Locke’s paraphrase
‘A propos of that, I shall here insert a problem that was put to me by the
learned and worthy Mr. Molineux. . . .:
Suppose a man born blind, now adult, who has learned how to
distinguish by touch between a cube and a sphere of the same metal and
about the same size, so that he can tell when he handles them which is
the cube and which the sphere. Now suppose the cube and sphere to be
placed on a table, and the blind man be made to see. Can he by his sight,
before touching them, tell which is the globe, which the cube?’

2.4 What is the question?

‘Can he by his sight … tell which is the globe, which the cube?’

I. Can he distinguish/single out objects in his visual field?

II. Can he identify objects in his visual field? (assumes a.)

III. A matter about relation: What is the relation between

sight/visual sensations and touch/tactile sensations ->
established by experience or simply conceptual?

IV. A matter about concepts: Is the concept of a globe (or cube)

formed through touch identical to the one formed through sight?
i. Distinction between ability(potency) and actual
application(actuality): if yes, does it suffice to have a
concept to accurately apply it?
These questions are interrelated.
2.5 Unclarity concerning the conditions of the (previously blind) person
I. Is she asked the question right away after the surgery has taken
place?
II. Is she notified in advance about the question? (mental
preparation)
III. Is she allowed to walk around the objects?

3. Molyneux and Locke’s response

‘this Mr Molineux answers No. For though the man has obtained the
experience of how a globe affects his ·sense of· touch and how a cube
does, he still has no experience telling him that something that affects
his touch thus must affect his sight so. I agree. . .

I leave this with you, to prompt you to consider how much you owe to
experience, learning, and acquired notions, where you have thought
you hadn’t the least help from them! I especially want to include this
question here because

Mr Molyneux tells me that when ·the first edition of· my book appeared
he proposed this question to various very able men, and found hardly
any that gave what he thinks is the right answer until he convinced
them of it by giving reasons.’

- The sense of touch does not provide visual data -> the concept of
an object obtained via touch is different than one obtained via
sight (?)
- Baumann’s objection(2004, 179-80): Intuitive argument for the
claim that it’s the same concept, although the way(‘criteria’) of
recognizing may differ.
Responses based on empirical cases
I. Studies on previously blind people
- William Cheselden (1728)
"When he first saw, he was [...] far from making any Judgment
about Distances"; "he could form no Judment of their [objects']
shape [...] He knew not the Shape of any Thing, nor any one Thing
from another, however different in Shape, or Magnitude".
"Having often forgot which was the Cat, and which the Dog, he
was asham'd to ask; but catching the Cat (which he knew by
feeling) he was observ'd to look at her steadfastly, and then
setting her down … So Puss! I shall know you another Time".

- Richard Gregory and Jean Wallace (1963): ‘S.B.’ had lost his sight
when he was 10 months, healed at the age of 52

II. Studies on infants with sight

- Bryant et al. (1972): 8- to 9-month-old infants. Assumption that
infants show more interest for objects that make sounds than
those that do not. Objects were first presented to them merely
tactilely, then presented visually together with other untouched
objects. It turns out that infants showed more interest for those
that had been touched before.

- Gottfried et al. (1977)

III. Studies on adults with sight
- Bach-y Rita(1969)

IV. Problems:
a. Resemblance to Molyneux’s problem can be questioned
b. Underdetermination of the data