Wednesday 4 March 2009

Nemesius on movement according to impulse or choice

"For since the evacuation of superfluities is the task of the excretive faculty, which is one of the natural faculties, in order that we should not unwillingly behave in an unseemly way by such ejection where, when, and in circumstances in which we should not, [God] established muscles as warders over evacuations, thus bringing natural functions into the domain of the soul: so we can hold back evacuations on that account, both often and for a long time."

Nemesius of Emesa, On the Nature of Man (tr. R W Sharples and P J van der Eijk)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Very entertaining.

I have always said that if the Church is the Body of Christ, someone needs to be the ass.

You should read this book "Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read in School"

Marika said...

It strikes me, actually, that farting raises some interesting questions. If our ability to control our excretion is a sign of God's providence, what does it say about God that it isn't always possible to control the release of wind?