Aristotle: The Importance of Touch in Perception

In his work "On the Soul," Aristotle highlights the importance of touch as a fundamental sense. Dr. Elsa Nicolaidou, a scholar of Aristotle's work, points out that Aristotle considered touch to be the first sense present in all living beings.

Aristotle connects touch with taste, recognizing that "the tasteable is something tangible." He thoroughly examines the sensory organ of touch, questioning whether it is the skin or something similar in animals that do not have skin. He points out the contrasts that the tangible includes, such as hot-cold and dry-wet.

In the third book of "On the Soul," Aristotle concludes that touch is necessary for survival. Without it, animals die. The other senses, such as sight and hearing, exist "not for being but for well-being."

Touch is not only about contact with others but also about perceiving the environment, acquiring information, and choosing the beneficial over the harmful. Dr. Nicolaidou emphasizes that the research of touch is essential for understanding life and its basic functions.

Dr. Elsa Nicolaidou is the author of the books "The Philosophy of Happiness: Live Better by Reading the Ancient Philosophers" (Metaichmio, 2025) and "Philosophy for All: Why Read the Ancient Philosophers" (Metaichmio, 2022).