Mr Sean has called Jack into his office. "Victor, would you be interested in a part in the Church Christmas play?"
"Oh, I don't think so. I'm kind of a straight-man; I wouldn't make any sort of actor."
"Well, you wouldn't have to do much. We just need another wise man. Aren't you suitable for that? You wouldn't need to say anything, or even act anything, as far as that goes. Just look wise and sort of dignified - that shouldn't be hard, for you!"
"Thanks. Say, would you happen to know if that new girl is in it? The tall one with the long dark brown hair?"
"As a matter of fact, I think she is. And her brother too. I believe she's one of the angels."
"Okay. Well, count me in. What do I do?"
"There's a meeting right after Mass this Sunday. It'll be announced with the sermon."
"Good, I'll be there."
"And how is it going otherwise, Vick. You pretty well ready for exams?"
"Oh yes. Can't see any problem there.
I've been trying to figure out something. About perception. There's a lot of argument about sense data, that when we see something we don't see an actual object but an extract or sample of its appearance, a view that is conditional on our physical perceiving apparatus and on our situation or position. You must have had a lot of psychology; can you shed some light on that?"
"Well, to some extent I can. The idea of a sense datum is useful; I think of it as the thing that happens in our sensing system when we perceive something. Exactly how that ties in with a physical object is a philosophical question I can't say very much about. But I make a habit of thinking things through starting from whatever hard facts I can find that have to do with what I'm chewing on, and I've always thought that there's a key to this perception thing in the pains that people get from an amputated arm or leg. Have you heard about that?"
"You mean they can feel pain in an arm that's been cut off?"
"That's right. And that should be impossible, if pains are really where we think they are. Say you hit your thumb with a hammer, or you stub your toe. Where is the pain?"
"The pain has to be in the thumb, or in the toe. It can't be any other way. I know. It hurts like hell, right where you hit it! How can there be any question?"
"It sure seems that way. But no matter how much it hurts, or how strongly convinced we are that the thumb or toe is having pain, that's not what happens.
The pain… is in… the brain."
