H。M。Stanley,ThroughtheDarkContinent,ii。388:"OnthethirddayofourstayatMowafeelingquitecomfortableamongstthepeople,onaccountoftheirfriendlybearing,Ibegantowriteinmynote-bookthetermsforarticles,inordertoimprovemyalreadycopiousvocabularyofnativewords。
IhadproceededonlyafewminuteswhenIobservedastrangecommotionamongstthepeoplewhohadbeenflockingaboutme,andpresentlytheyransway。Inashorttimeweheardwar-criesringingloudlyandshrillyoverthetable-land。Twohoursafterwardsalonglineofwarriorswereseendescendingthetable-landandadvancingtowardsourcamp。Theremayhavebeenbetweenfiveandsixhundredofthem。We,ontheotherhand,hadmadebutfewpreparationsexceptsuchaswouldjustifyusreplyingtothemintheeventoftheactualcommencementofhostilities。ButIhadmademanyfirmfriendsamongthemandIhardlybelievedthatIshouldbeabletoavertanopenrupture。Whentheyhadassembledataboutahundredyardsinfrontofourcamp,SafeniandIwalkeduptowardsthemandsatdownmidway。Somehalf-dozenoftheYowapeoplecamenear,andtheshauribegan。,’
"’Whatisthematter,myfriends?’Iasked。’Whydoyoucomewithgunsinyourhands,insuchnumbers,asthoughyouwerecomingtofight?Fight?
fightus,yourfriends!Tut!Ithisissomegreatmistake,surely。’
Mundelé;’repliedoneofthem……’ourpeoplesawyouyesterdaymakemarksonsometara-tara[paper][Classicseditorsnote:James’
Insertion]。Thisisverybad。Ourcountrywillwaste,ourgoatswilldie,ourbananaswillrot,andourwomenwilldryup。Whathavewedonetoyouthatyoushouldwishtokillus?Wehavesoldyoufoodandwehavebroughtyouwineeachday。Yourpeopleareallowedtowanderwheretheypleasewithouttrouble。WhyistheMundelé;sowicked!Wehavegatheredtogethertofightyouifyoudonotburnthattara-taranowbeforeoureyes。Ifyouburnitwegoaway,andshallbeyourfriendsasheretofore。’
’’Itoldthemtorestthere,andleftSafeniintheirhandsasapledgethatIshouldreturn。Mytentwasnotfiftyyardsfromthespot,butwhilegoingtowardsitmybrainwasbusyindevisingsomeplantofoilthissuperstitiousmadness。Mynote-bookcontainedavastnumberofvaluablenotes……I
couldnotsacrificeittothechildishcapriceofsavages。9sIwasrummagingmybook-box,IcameacrossavolumeofShakespeare[Chandosedition][Classicseditorsnote:James’insertion]muchwornandwellthumbed,andwhichwasofthesamesizeasmyfield-book;itscoverwassimilaralso,anditmightbepassedforthefield-book,providedthatnooneremembereditsappearancetoowell。Itookittothem。’Isthisthetara-tara,friends,thatyouwishburned?’
Yes,yes,thatisit。’
Well,takeit,andburnit。orkeepit。’
"M-m。No,no,no。Wewillnottouchit。Itisfetish。Youmustburnit。’
"’I!Well,letitbeso。IwilldoanythingtopleasemygoodfriendsofMowa。’
"Wewalkedtothenearestfire。Ibreathedaregretfulfarewelltomygenialcompanion,which。duringmymanywearyhoursofnight,hadassistedtorelievemymindwhenoppressedbyalmostintolerablewoes,andthengravelyconsignedtheinnocentShakespearetotheflames,heapingthebrushfueloveritwithceremoniouscare。
’’Ah-h,’breathedthepoordeludednativessighingtheirrelief……’Thereisnotroublenow。’……Endsomethingapproachingtoacheerwasshoutedamongthem,whichterminatedtheepisodeoftheburningofShakespeare。
[34]’Rationality,Activity,andFaith’PrincetonReview,July1883,pp64-9。
[35]J。Royce,TheReligiousAspectofPhilosophyBoston,1885。pp。317-57。
[36]ChapterXXVII
[37]Prof。Royceputsthiswellindiscussingidealismandtherealityofan’externalworld。"Ifthehistoryofpopularspeculationonthesetopicscouldbewritten,howmuchofcowardiceandshufflingwouldbefoundinthebehaviorofthenaturalmindbeforethequestion,’Howdostthouknowofanexternalreality。Insteadofsimplyandplainlyanswering:
’ImeanbytheexternalworldinthefirstplacesomethingthatIacceptknowofanexternalrealityordemand,thatIposit,postulateactivelyconstructonthebasisofsense-data,’thenaturalmangivesusallkindsofvaguecompromiseanswers……Whereshalltheseendlessturningsandtwistingshaveanend?……Alltheselessermotivesareappealedto,andtheoneultimatemotiveisneglected。Theultimatemotivewiththemanofevery-daylifeisthewilltohaveanexternalworld。Whateverconsciousnesscontains,reasonwillpersistinspontaneouslyaddingthethought:’Butthereshallbesomethingbeyondthis。’……Thepopularassuranceofanexternalworldisthefixeddeterminationtomakeone,nowandhenceforth。"ReligiousAspectofphilosophy,p。304——theitalicsaremyown。Thisimmixtureofthewillappearsmostflagrantlyinthefactthatalthoughexternalmatterisdoubtedcommonlyenough,mindsexternaltoourownareneverdoubted。Weneedthemtoomuch,aretooessentiallysocialtodispensewiththem。Semblancesofmattermaysufficetoreactupon,butnotsemblancesofcommuningsouls。apsychicsolipsismistoohideousamockeryofourwants,and,sofarasIknow,hasneverbeenseriouslyentertained——ChaptersixandxofProf。Royce’sworkareonthewholethedearestaccountofthepsychologyofbeliefwithwhichIamacquainted。
[38]’’TheleadingfactinBelief,accordingtomyviewofit,isourPrimitiveCredulity。Webeginbybelievingeverything;
whateveris,istrue……Theanimalborninthemorningofasummerdayproceedsuponthefactofdaylight;assumestheperpetuityofthatfact。
Whateveritisdisposedtodo。itdoeswithoutmisgivings。Ifinthemorningitbeganaroundofoperationscontinuingforhours,underthefullbenefitofday-light,itwouldunhesitatinglybeginthesamerollandintheevening。
Itsstateofmindispracticallyoneofunboundedconfidence;but,asyet,itdoesnotunderstandwhatconfidencemeans。
"Thepristineassuranceissoonmetbychecks;adisagreeableexperienceleadingtonewinsight。Tobethwartedandopposedisoneofourearliestandmostfrequentpains。Itdevelopsthesenseofadistinctionbetweenfreeandobstructedimpulses;theunconsciousnessofanopenwayisexchangedforconsciousness;wearenowsaidproperlytobelieveinwhathasneverbeencontradicted,aswedisbelieveinwhathasbeencontradicted。Webelievethat,afterthedawnofday,thereisbeforeusacontinuanceoflight;
wedonotbelievethatthislightistocontinueforever。
"Thus,thevitalcircumstanceinbeliefisnevertobecontradicted——nevertoloseprestige。Thenumberofrepetitionscountsforlittleintheprocess:weareasmuchconvincedaftertenasafterfifty;
wearemoreconvincedbytenunbrokenthanbyfiftyforandoneagainst。"
Bain:TheEmotionsandtheWill,pp。511,512。
[39]Literature。DHume:TreatiseonHumanNature,partIII。§;§;vi-xA。Bain:EmotionsandWill,chapteronBeliefalsopp。20ff。J。Sully:SensationandIntuition,essayivJ。Mill:
AnalysisofHumanMindCh。Renouvier:PsychologieRationnelle,vol。ii。
pt。ii;andEsquissed’uneClassificationsysté;matiquedesDoctrinesMind,chapterxiPhilosophiques,partvi。J。EI。Newman:TheGrammarofassent。J。Venn:SomeCharacteristicsofBelief。V。Brochard:Del’Erreur,partiichap。vi,ix;andRevuePhilosophique,xxvii。1。E·;Habier:
Psychologie,chapxxi,Appendix。Ollé;Laprune:LaCertitudeMorale1881。Cf。F。Stout:OnGenesisofCognitionofPhysicalReality,in’Mind,’
Jan。JPikler:ThePsychologyoftheBeliefinObjectiveExistenceLondon,1890——Millsaysthatwebelievepresentsensations;andmakesourbeliefinallotherthingsamatterofassociationwiththese。Sofarsogood;butashemakesnomentionofemotionalorvolitionalreaction,Bainrightlychargeshimwithtreatingbeliefasapurelyintellectualstate。
ForBainbeliefisratheranincidentofouractivelife。Whenathingissuch,tomakeusactonit,thenwebelieveit,accordingtoBain。"Buthowaboutpastthings,orremotethings,uponwhichnoreactionofoursispossible?Andhowaboutbeliefinthingswhichcheckaction"
saysSully;whoconsidersthatwebelievesthingonlywhen"theideaofithasaninherenttendencytoapproximateincharacterandintensitytoasensation。"Itisobviousthateachoftheseauthorsemphasizesatrueaspectofthequestion。Myownaccounthassoughttobemorecomplete,sensation,association,andactivereactionallbeingacknowledgedtobeconcerned。Themostcompendiouspossibleformulaperhapswouldbethatoutbeliefandattentionarethesamefact。Forthemoment,whatweattendtoisreality;Attentionisamotorreaction;andwearesomadethatsensationsforceattentionfromus。OnBeliefandConductseeanarticlebyLeslieStephen,FortnightlyReview,July1888。
AsetoffactshavebeenrecentlybroughttomyattentionwhichIhardlyknowhowtotreat,soIsayawordabouttheminthisfootnote。Refertoatypeofexperiencewhichhasfrequentlyfoundaplaceamongthe’Yes’
answerstothe’CensusofHallucinations,’andwhichisgenerallydescribedbythosewhoreportitasan’impressionofthepresence’ofsomeonenearthem,althoughnosenselioneitherofsight,hearing,ortouchisinvolvedFromthewayinwhichthisexperienceisspokenofbythosewhohavehadit,itwouldappeartobeanextremelydefiniteandpositivestateofmind,coupledwithabeliefintherealityofitsobjectquiteasstrongasanydirectsensationevergives。Andyetnosensationseemstobeconnectedwithitatall。Sometimesthepersonwhosenearnessisthusimpressedisaknownperson,deadorliving,sometimesanunknownone。Hisattitudeandsituationareoftenverydefinitelyimpressed,andso,sometimesthoughnotbywayofhearing,arewordswhichhewishestosay。
Thephenomenonwouldseemtobeduetoapureconceptionbecomingsaturatedwiththesortofstingingurgencywhichordinarilyonlysensationsbring。ButIcannotyetpersuademyselfthattheurgencyinQuestionconsistsinconcomitantemotionalandmotorimpulses。The’impression’maycomequitesuddenlyanddepartquickly;itmaycarrynoemotionalsuggestions,andwakenomotorconsequencesbeyondthoseinvolvedinattendingtoit。
Altogether,thematterissomewhatparadoxical,andnoconclusioncanbecometountilmoredefinitedataareobtained。
PerhapsthemostcuriouscaseofthesortwhichIhavereceivedisthefollowing。Thesubjectoftheobservation,Mr。P。,isanexceptionallyintelligentwitness,thoughthewordsofthenarrativearehiswife’s。
"Mr。P。hasallhislifebeentheoccasionalsubjectofrathersingulardelusionsorimpressionsofvariouskinds。IfIhadbeliefintheexistenceoflatentorembryofaculties,otherthanthefivesenses,Ishouldexplainthemonthatground。Beingtotallyblind,hisotherperceptionsareabnormallykeenanddeveloped,andgiventheexistenceofarudimentarysixthsense,itwouldbeonlynaturalthatthisalsoshouldbemoreacuteinhimthaninothers。Oneofthemostinterestingofhisexperiencesinthislinewasthefrequentapparitionofacorpsesomeyearsago,whichmaybeworththeattentionofyourCommitteeonthatsubject。AtthelimeMr。P。hadamusic-roominBostononBeaconStreet,whereheusedtodosevereandprotractedpracticewithlittleinterruption。Now,alloneseasonitwasaveryfamiliaroccurrencewithhimwhileinthemidstofworktofeelacolddraftofairsuddenlyuponhisface,withapricklingsensationattherootsofhishair,whenhewouldturnfromthepiano,andafigurewhichheknewtobedeadwouldcomeslidingunderthecrackofthedoorfromwithout,flatteningitselftosqueezethroughandroundingoutagaintothehumanform。Itwasofamiddle-agedman,anddrewitselfalongthecarpetonhandsandknees,butwithheadthrownbacktillitreachedthesofa,uponwhichitstretcheditself。Itremainedsomemoments,butvanishedsifMr。P。spokeormadeadecidedmovement。Themostsingularpointintheoccurrencewasitsfrequentrepetition。Bemightexpectitonanydaybetweentwoandfouro’clock,anditcamealwaysheraldedbythesamesuddencoldshiver,andwasinvariablythesamefigurewhichwentthroughthesamemovements。Heafterwardstracedthewholeexperiencetostrongtea。
Hewasinthehabitoftakingcoldtea,whichalwaysstimulateshim,forlunch,andongivingupthispracticewheneversawthisoranyotherapparitionagain。However,evenallowing,asisdoubtlesstrue,thattheeventwasadelusionofnervesfirstfatiguedbyoverworkandthenexcitedbythisstimulant,thereisonepointwhichisstillwhollyinexplicableandhighlyinterestingtome。Mr。P。hasnomemorywhateverofsight,norconceptionofit。Itisimpossibleforhimtoformanyideaofwhatwemeanbylightorcolor,consequentlyhehasnocognizanceofanyobjectwhichdoesnotreachhissenseofhearingoroftouch,thoughthesearesoacuteastogiveacontraryimpressionsome-timestootherpeople。Whenhebecomesawareofthepresenceofapersonoranobject,bymeanswhichseemmysterioustooutsiders,hecanalwaystraceitnaturallyandlegitimatelytoslightechoes,perceptibleonlytohiskeenears,ortodifferencesinatmosphericpressure,perceptibleonlytohisacutenervesoftouch;butwiththeapparitiondescribed,fortheonlytime-inhisexperience,hewasawareofpresence,size,andappearance,withouttheuseofeitherofthesemediums。Thefigureneverproducedtheleastsoundnorcamewithinanumberoffeetofhisperson,yetheknewthatitwasaman,thatitmoved,andinwhatdirection,eventhatitworeafullbeard,which,likethethickcurlyheir,waspartiallygray;alsothatitwar,dressedinthestyleofsuitknownas’pepperandsalt。’Thesepointswereallperfectlydistinctandinvariableeachtime。
Ifaskedhowheperceivedthem,hewillanswerhecannottell,hesimplyknewit。andsostronglyandsodistinctlythatitisimpossibletoshaketheopinionastotheexactdetailsoftheman’sappearance。Itwouldseemthatinthisdelusionofthesenseshereallysaw,ashehasneverdoneintheactualexperiencesoflife,exceptinthefirsttwoyearsofchildhood。"
Oncross-examiningMr。P。,Icouldnotmakeoutthattherewasanythinglikevisualimaginationinvolved,althoughhewasquiteunabletodescribeinjustwhattermsthefalseperceptionwascarriedon。Itseemedtobemorelikeanintenselydefiniteconceptionthananythingelse,aconceptiontowhichthefeelingofpresentrealitywasattached,butinnosuchshapeaseasilytofailundertheheadslaiddowninmytext。
ClassicsintheHistoryofPsychology——James1890Chapter24ThePrinciplesofPsychologyWilliamJames1890CHAPTERXXIV。[1]INSTINCT
INSTINCTisusuallydefinedasthefacultyofactinginsuchawayastoproducecertainends,withoutforesightoftheends,andwithoutpreviouseducationintheperformance。Thatinstincts,asthusdefined,existonanenormousscaleintheanimalkingdomneedsnoproof。Theyarethefunctionalcorrelativesofstructure。Withthepresenceofacertainorgangoes,onemaysay,almostalwaysanativeaptitudeforitsuse。
"Hasthebirdaglandforthesecretionofoil?Sheknowsinstinctivelyhowtopresstheoilfromthegland,andapplyittothefeather。Hastherattlesnakethegroovedtoothandglandofpoison?Heknowswithoutinstructionhowtomakebothstructureandfunctionmosteffectiveagainsthisenemies。
Hasthesilk-wormthefunctionofsecretingthefluidsilk?Atthepropertimeshewindsthecocoonsuchasshehasneverseen,asthousandsbeforehavedone;andthuswithoutinstruction,pattern,orexperience,formsasafeabodeforherselfintheperiodoftransformation。Hasthehawktalons?Sheknowsbyinstincthowtowieldthemeffectivelyagainstthehelplessquarry。"[2]
Averycommonwayoftalkingabouttheseadmirablydefinitetendenciestoactisbynamingabstractlythepurposetheysubserve,suchasself-preservation,ordefense,orcareforeggsandyoung——andsayingtheanimalhasaninstinctivefearofdeathorloveoflife,orthatshehasaninstinctofself-preservation,oraninstinctofmaternityandthelike。Butthisrepresentstheanimalasobeyingabstractionswhichnotonceinamillioncasesisitpossibleitcanhaveframed。Thestrictphysiologicalwayofinterpret-[p。384]ingthefactsleadstofarclearerresults。Theactionswecallinstinctiveallconformtothegeneralreflextype;
theyarecalledforthbydeterminatesensorystimuliincontactwiththeanimal’sbody,oratadistanceinhisenvironment。Thecatrunsafterthemouse,runsorshowsfightbeforethedog,avoidsfallingfromwallsandtrees,shunsfireandwater,etc。,notbecausehehasanynotioneitheroflifeorofdeath,orofself,orofpreservation。Hehasprobablyattainedtonooneoftheseconceptionsinsuchawayastoreactdefinitelyuponit。Heactsineachcaseseparately,andsimplybecausehecannothelpit;beingsoframedthatwhenthatparticularrunningthingcalledamouseappearsinhisfieldofvisionhemustpursue;thatwhenthatparticularbarkingandobstreperousthingcalledadogappeartherehemustretire,ifatadistance,andscratchifcloveby;thathemustwithdrawhisfeetfromwaterandhisfacefromflame,etc。Hisnervoussystemistoagreatextentapreorganizedbundleofsuchreactions——theyareasfatalassneezing,andasexactlycorrelatedtotheirspecialexcitantsasitistoitsown。Althoughthenaturalistmay,forhisownconvenience,classthesereactionsundergeneralheads,hemustnotforgetthatintheanimalitisaparticularsensationorperceptionorimagewhichcallsthemforth。
Atfirstthisviewastoundsusbytheenormousnumberofspecialadjustmentsitsupposesanimalstopossessready-madeinanticipationoftheouterthingsamongwhichtheyaretodwell。Canmutualdependencebesointricateandgosofar?Iseachthingbornfittedtoparticularotherthings,andtothemexclusively,aslocksarefittedtotheirkeys?Undoubtedlythismustbebelievedtobeso。Eachnookandcrannyofcreation,downtoourveryskinandentrails,hasitslivinginhabitants,withorganssuitedtotheplace,todevouranddigestthefooditharborsandtomeetthedangersitconceals;andtheminutenessofadaptationthusshowninthewayofstructureknowsnohounds。Evensoaretherenoboundstotheminutenessofadaptationinthewayofconductwhichtheseveralinhabitantsdisplay。
Theolderwritingsoninstinctareineffectualwastesofwords,becausetheirauthorsnevercamedowntothisdefi-[p。385]niteandsimplepointofview,butsmotheredeverythinginvaguewonderattheclairvoyantandpropheticpoweroftheanimals——sosuperiortoanythinginman——andatthebeneficenceofGodinendowingthemwithsuchagift。ButGod’sbeneficenceendowsthem,firstofall,withanervoussystem;and,turningourattentiontothis,makesinstinctimmediatelyappearneithermorenorlesswonderfulthanalltheotherfactsoflife。
Everyinstinctisanimpulse。Whetherweshallcallsuchimpulsesasblushing,sneezing,coughing,smiling,ordodging,orkeepingtimetomusic,instinctsornot,isamerematterofterminology。Theprocessisthesamethrough-out。Inhisdelightfullyfreshandinterestingwork,DerThierischeWille,HerrG。H。SchneidersubdividesimpulsesTriebe
intosensation-impulses,perception-impulses,andidea-impulses。Tocrouchfromcoldisasensation-impulse;toturnandfollow,ifweseepeoplerunningoneway,isaperception-impulse;tocastaboutforcover,ifitbeginstoblowandrain,isanimagination-impulse。Asinglecomplexinstinctiveactionmayinvolvesuccessivelytheawakeningofimpulsesofallthreeclasses。Thusahungrylionstartstoseekpreybytheawakeninginhimofimaginationcoupledwithdesire;hebeginstostalkitwhen,oneye,ear,ornostril,hegetsanimpressionofitspresenceatacertaindistance;hespringsuponit,eitherwhenthebootytakesalarmandsees,orwhenthedistanceissufficientlyreduced;heproceedstotearanddevouritthemomenthegetsasensationofitscontactwithhisclawsandfangs。
Seeking,stalking,springing,anddevouringarejustsomanydifferentkindsofmuscularcontraction,andneitherkindiscalledforthbythestimulusappropriatetotheother。
Schneidersaysofthehamster,whichstorescorninitshole:
"Ifweanalyzethepropensityofstoring,wefindthatitconsistsofthreeimpulses:First,animpulsetopickupthenutritiousobject,duetoperception;second,animpulsetocarryitoffintothedwelling-placeduetotheideaofthislatter;andthird,animpulsetolayitdownthere,duetothesightoftheplace。Itliesinthenatureofthehamsterthatitshouldneverseeafullearofcornwithoutfeelingadesire[p。386]tostripit;itlieuinitsnaturetofeel,assoonasitscheek-pouchesarefilled,anirresistibledesiretohurrytoitshome;andfinally,itliesinitsnaturethatthesightofthestorehouseshouldawakentheimpulsetoemptythecheeks"p。208。
Incertainanimalsofaloworderthefeelingofhavingexecutedoneimpulsivestepissuchanindispensablepartofthestimulusofthenextone,thattheanimalcannotmakeanyvariationintheorderofitsperformance。
Now,whydothevariousanimalsdowhatseemtoussuchstrangethings,inthepresenceofsuchoutlandishstimuli?Whydoesthehen,forexample,submitherselftothetediumofincubatingsuchafearfullyuninterestingsetofobjectsasanestfulofeggs,unlessshehavesomesortofapropheticinklingoftheresult?Theonlyanswerisadhominem。Wecanonlyinterprettheinstinctsofbrutesbywhatweknowofinstinctsinourselves。Whydomenalwaysliedown,whentheycan,onsoftbedsratherthanonhardfloors?Whydotheysitroundthestoveonacoldday?’Why,ina,room,dotheyplacethemselves,ninety-ninetimesoutofahundred,withtheirfacestowardsitsmiddleratherthantothewall?Whydotheyprefersaddleofmuttonandchampagnetohard-tackandditch-water?Whydoesthemaideninteresttheyouthsothateverythingaboutherseemsmoreimportantandsignificantthananythingelseintheworld?Nothingmorecanbesaidthanthatthesearehumanways,andthateverycreaturelikesitsownways,andtakestothefollowingthemasa,matterofcourse。Sciencemaycomeandconsidertheseways,andfindthatmostofthemareuseful。Butitisnotforthesakeoftheirutilitythattheyarefollowed,butbecauseatthemomentoffollowingthemwefeelthatthatistheonlyappropriateandnaturalthingtodo。Notonemaninabillion,whentakinghisdinner,everthinksofutility。Heeatsbecausethefoodtastesgoodandmakeshimwantmore。Ifyouaskhimwhyheshouldwanttoeatmoreofwhattasteslikethat,insteadofreveringyouasaphilosopherhewillprobablylaughatyouforafool。Theconnectionbetweenthesavorysensationandtheactitawakensisforhimabsoluteandselbstverstä;ndlich,an’apriorisyn-[p。387]thesis’ofthemostperfectsort,needingnoproofbutitsownevidence。Ittakes,inshort,whatBerkeleycallsaminddebauchedbylearningtocarrytheprocessofmakingthenaturalseemstrange,sofarastoaskforthewhyofanyinstinctivehumanact。Tothemetaphysicianalonecansuchquestionsoccuras:Whydowesmile,whenpleased,andnotscowl?Whyareweunabletotalktoacrowdaswetalktoasinglefriend?Whydoesaparticularmaidenturnourwitssoupside-down?Thecommonmancanonlysay,"Ofcoursewesmile,ofcourseourheartpalpitatesatthesightofthecrowd,ofcoursewelovethemaiden,thatbeautifulsoulcladinthatperfectform,sopalpablyandflagrantlymadefromalleternitytobeloved!"
Andso,probably,doeseachanimalfeelabouttheparticularthingsittendstodoinpresenceofparticularobjects。They,too,areapriorisyntheses。Tothelionitisthelionesswhichismadetobeloved;tothebear,theshe-bear。Tothebroodyhenthenotionwouldprobablyseemmonstrousthatthereshouldbeacreatureintheworldtowhomanestfulofeggswasnottheutterlyfascinatingandpreciousandnever-to-be-too-much-sat-uponobjectwhichitistoher。[3]
Thuswemaybesurethat,howevermysterioussomeanimals’instinctsmayappeartous,ourinstinctswillappearnolessmysterioustothem。
Andwemayconcludethat,totheanimalwhichobeysit,everyimpulseandeverystepofeveryinstinctshineswithitsownsufficientlight,endseemsatthemomenttheonlyeternallyrightandproperthingtodo。Itisdoneforitsownsakeexclusively。Whatvolup-[p。388]tuousthrillmaynotshakeafly,whensheatlastdiscoverstheoneparticularleaf,orcarrion,orbitofdung,thatoutofalltheworldcanstimulateherovipositortoitsdischarge?Doesnotthedischargethenseemtohertheonlyfittingthing?Andneedshecareorknowanythingaboutthefuturemaggotanditsfood?
Sincetheegg-layinginstinctsaresimpleexamplestoconsider,afewquotationsaboutthemfromSchneidermaybeserviceable:
"Thephenomenonsooftentalkedabout,sovariouslyinterpreted,sosurroundedwithmystification,thataninsectshouldalwayslayhereggsinaspotappropriatetothenourishmentofheryoung,isnomoremarvellousthanthephenomenonthateveryanimalpairswithamatecapableofbearingposterity,orfeedsonmaterialcapableofaffordinghimnourishment……Notonlythechoiceofaplaceforlayingtheeggs,butallthevariousactsfordepositingandprotectingthem,areoccasionedbytheperceptionoftheproperobject,andtherelationofthisperceptiontothevariousstagesofmaternalimpulse。Whentheburyingbeetleperceivesacarrion,sheisnotonlyimpelledtoapproachitandlodgehereggsinit,butalsotogothroughthemovementsrequisiteforburyingit;justasabirdwhoseeshishen-birdisimpelledtocaressher,tostrutaroundher,dancebeforeher,orinsomeotherwaytowooher;justasatiger,whenheseesanantelope,isimpelledtostalkit,topounceuponit,andtostrangleit。Whenthetailor-beecutsoutpiecesofrose-leaf,bendsthem,carriesthemintoacaterpillar-ormouse-holeintreesorintheearth,coverstheirseamsagainwithotherpieces,andsomakesathimble-shapedcase——whenshefillsthiswithhoneyandlaysanegginit,allthesevariousappropriateexpressionsofherwillaretobeexplainedbysupposingthatatthetimewhentheeggsareripewithinher,theappearanceofasuitablecaterpillar-ormouse-holeandtheperceptionofrose-leavesaresocorrelatedintheinsectwiththeseveralimpulsesinquestion,thattheperformancesfollowasamatterofcoursewhentheperceptionstakeplace……"
Theperceptionoftheemptynest,orofasingleegg,seemsinbirdstostandinsuchacloserelationtothephysiologicalfunctionsofoviparation,thatitservesasadirectstimulustothesefunctions,whiletheperceptionofasufficient。numberofeggshasjusttheoppositeeffect。Itiswellknownthathensandduckslaymoreeggsifwekeepremovingthemthanifweleavetheminthenest。Theimpulsetositarises,asarule,whenabirdseesacertainnumberofeggsinhernest。Ifthisnumberisnotyettobeseenthere,theduckscontinuetolay,althoughtheyperhapshavelaidtwiceasmanyeggsastheyareaccustomedtositupon……Thatsitting,also,isindependentofanyideaofpurposeandisapureperception-impulseisevident,amongotherthings,[p。389]fromthefactthatmanybirds,e。g。wildducks,stealeggsfromeachother……Thebodilydispositiontositis,itistrue,onecondition[sincebroodyhenswillsitwheretherearenoeggs],[4]buttheperceptionoftheeggsistheotherconditionoftheactivityoftheincubatingimpulse。Thepropensityofthecuckooandofthecow-birdtolaytheireggsinthenestsofotherspeciesmustalsobeinterpretedasapureperception-impulse。Thesebirdshavenobodilydispositiontobecomebroody,andthereisthereforeinthemnoconnectionbetweentheperceptionofaneggandtheimpulsetosatuponit。Eggsripen,however,intheiroviducts,andthebodytendstogetridofthem。Andsincethetwobirdsjustnameddonotdroptheireggsany-whereontheground,butinnests,whicharetheonlyplaceswheretheymaypreservethespecies,itmighteasilyappearthatsuchpreservationofthespecieswaswhattheyhadinview,andthattheyactedwithfullconsciousnessofthepurpose。Butthisisnotso……Thecuckooissimplyexcitedbytheperceptionofquitedeterminatesortsofnest,whichalreadycontaineggs,todropherownintothem,andthrowtheothersout,becausethisperceptionisadirectstimulustotheseacts。Itisimpossiblethatsheshouldhaveanynotionoftheotherbirdcom-ingandsittingonheregg。"
[5]INSTINCTSNOTALWAYSBLINDORINVARIABLE。
Rememberthatnothingissaidyetoftheoriginofinstincts,butonlyoftheconstitutionofthosethatexistfullyformed。Howstandsitwiththeinstinctsofmankind?
NothingiscommonerthantheremarkthatMandiffersfromlowercreaturesbythealmosttotalabsenceofinstincts,andtheassumptionoftheirworkinhimby’reason。’Afruitlessdiscussionmightbewagedonthispointbytwotheorizerswhowerecarefulnottodefinetheirterms。’Reason’
mightbeused,asitoftenhasbeen,sinceKant,notasthemerepowerof’inferring,’butalsoasanameforthetendencytoobeyimpulsesofacertainloftysort,suchasduty,oruniversalends。And’instinct’
mighthaveitssignificancesobroadenedastocoverallimpulseswhatever,eventheimpulsetoactfromtheideaofadistantfact,aswellastheimpulsetoactfromapresentsensation。Werethewordinstinctusedinthisbroadway,itwouldofcoursebeimpossibletorestrictit,aswebeganbydoing,toactionsdonewithnoprevisionofanend。Wemustofcourseavoidaquarrelaboutwords,andthefactsofthecaseare[p。390]
reallytolerablyplain。Manhasafargreatervarietyofimpulsesthananyloweranimal;andanyoneoftheseimpulses,takeninitself,isas’blind’asthelowestinstinctcanbe;but,owingtoman’smemory,powerofreflection,andpowerofinference,theycomeeachonetobefeltbyhim,afterhehasonceyieldedtothemandexperiencedtheirresults,inconnectionwithaforesightofthoseresults。Inthisconditionanimpulseactedoutmaybesaidtobeactedout,inpertatleast,forthesakeofitsresults。Itisobviousthateveryinstinctiveact,inananimalwithmemory,mustceasetobe’blind’afterbeingoncerepeated,andmustbeaccompaniedwithforesightofits’end’justsofarasthatendmayhavefallenundertheanimal’scognizance。Aninsectthatlayshereggsinaplacewheresheneverseesthemhatchedmustalwaysdoso’blindly;’butahenwhohasalreadyhatchedabroodcanhardlybeassumedtositwithperfect’blindness’onhersecondnest。Someexpectationofconsequencesmustineverycaselikethisbearoused;andthisexpectation,accordingasitisthatofsomethingdesiredorofsomethingdisliked,mustnecessarilyeitherreinforceorinhibitthemereimpulse。Thehen’sideaofthechickenswouldprobablyencouragehertosit;arat’smemory,on,theotherhand,ofaformerescapefromatrapwouldneutralizehisimpulsetotakebaitfromanythingthatremindedhimofthattrap。Ifaboyseesafathopping-toad,heprobablyhasincontinentlyanimpulseespeciallyifwithotherboystosmashthecreaturewithastone,whichimpulsewemaysupposehimblindlytoobey。Butsomethingintheexpressionofthedyingtoad’sclaspedhandssuggeststhemeannessoftheact,orremindshimofsayingshehasheardaboutthesufferingsofanimalsbeinglikehisown;sothat,whennextheistemptedbyatoad,anideaariseswhich,farfromspurringhimagaintothetorment,promptskindlyactions,andmayevenmakehimthetoad’schampionagainstlessreflectingboys。
Itisplain,then,that,nomatterhowwellendowedananimalmayoriginallybeinthewayofinstincts,hisresultantactionswillbemuchmodifiediftheinstinctscombinewithexperience,ifinadditiontoimpulseshehavememories,associations,inferences,andexpectations,onanyconsiderablescale。An[p。391]objectO,onwhichhehasaninstinctiveimpulsetoreactinthemannerA,woulddirectlyprovokehimtothatreaction。
ButOhasmeantimebecomeforhimasignofthenearnessofP,onwhichhehasanequallystrongimpulsetoreactinthemannerB,quiteunlikeA。SothatwhenhemeetsOtheimmediateimpulseAandtheremoteimpulseBstruggleinhisbreastforthemastery。ThefatalityanduniformitysaidtobecharacteristicofinstinctiveactionswillbesolittlemanifestthatonemightbetemptedtodenytohimaltogetherthepossessionofanyinstinctabouttheobjectO。Yethowfalsethisjudgmentwouldbe!TheinstinctaboutOisthere;onlybythecomplicationoftheassociativemachineryithascomeintoconflictwithanotherinstinctaboutP。
Hereweimmediatelyreapthegoodfruitsofoursimplephysiologicalconceptionofwhataninstinctis。Ifitbeamereexcite-motorimpulse,duetothepre-existenceofacertain’reflexarc’inthenerve-centresofthecreature,ofcourseitmustfollowthelawofallsuchreflexarea。
Oneliabilityofsuchareaistohavetheiractivity’inhibited,’byotherprocessesgoingonatthesametime。Itmakesnodifferencewhetherthearebeorganizedatbirth,orripenspontaneouslylater,orbeduetoacquiredhabit,itmusttakeitschanceswithalltheotherarea,andsometimessucceed,andsometimesfail,indraftingoffthecurrentsthroughitself。
Themysticalviewofaninstinctwouldmakeitinvariable。Thephysiologicalviewwouldrequireittoshowoccasionalirregularitiesinanyanimalinwhomthenumberofseparateinstincts,andthepossibleentranceofthesamestimulusintoseveralofthem,weregreat。Andsuchirregularitiesarewhateverysuperioranimal’sinstinctsdoshowinabundance。"[6]
Whereverthemindiselevatedenoughtodiscriminate;whereverseveraldistinctsensoryelementsmustcombinetodischargethereflex-arc;wherever,insteadofplumpingintoactioninstantlyatthefirstroughintimationofwhatsortofathingisthere,theagentwaitstoseewhichoneofitskinditisandwhatthecircumstancesareofitsappearance;
whereverdifferentindividualsanddifferentcircumstancescanimpelhimindifferentways;whereverthesearetheconditions——wehaveamaskingoftheelementaryconstitutionoftheinstinctivelife。Thewholestoryofourdealingswiththelowerwildanimalsisthehistoryofourtakingadvantageofthewayinwhichtheyjudgeofeverythingbyitsmerelabel,asitwere,soastoensnareorkillthem。Nature,inthem,hasleftmattersinthisroughway,andmadethemactalwaysinthemannerwhichwouldbeoftenestright。Therearemorewormsunattachedtohooksthanimpaleduponthem;therefore,onthewhole,saysNaturetoherfishychildren,biteateverywormandtakeyourchances。Butasherchildrengethigher,andtheirlivesmoreprecious,shereducestherisks。Sincewhatseemstobethesameobjectmaybenowagenuinefoodandnowabait;
sinceingregariousspecieseachindividualmayprovetobeeitherthefriendortherival,accordingtothecircumstances,ofanother;sinceanyentirelyunknownobjectmaybefraughtwithwealorwoe,Natureimplantscontraryimpulsestoactonmanyclassesofthings,andleavesittoslightalterationsintheconditionsoftheindividualcasetodecidewhichimpulseshallcarrytheday。Thus,greedinessandsuspicion,curiosityandtimidity,coynessanddesire,bashfulnessandvanity,sociabilityandpugnacity,seemtoshootoverintoeachotherasquickly,andtoremaininasunstableequilibrium,inthehigherbirdsandmammalsasinman。
Theyareallimpulses,congenital,blindatfirst,andproductiveofmotorreactionsofarigorouslydeterminatesort。Eachoneofthem,then,isaninstinct,asinstinctsarecommonlydefined。Buttheycontradicteachother——’experience’ineachparticularoppor-[p。393]tunityofapplicationusuallydecidingtheissue。Theanimalthatexhibitsthemlosesthe>instinctive’demeanorandappearstoleadalifeofhesitationandchoice,anintellectuallife;not,however,becausehehasnoinstincts——ratherbecausehehassomanythattheyblockeachother’spath。
Thus,then,withouttroublingourselvesaboutthewordsinstinctandreason,wemayconfidentlysaythathoweveruncertainman’sreactionsuponhisenvironmentmaysome-timesseemincomparisonwiththoseoflowercreatures,theuncertaintyisprobablynotduetotheirpossessionofanyprinciplesofactionwhichhelacks。Onthecontrary,manpossessesalltheimpulsesthattheyhave,andagreatmanymorebesides。Inotherwords,thereisnomaterialantagonismbetweeninstinctandreason。Reason,perse,caninhibitnoimpulses;theonlythingthatcanneutralizeanimpulseisanimpulsetheotherway。Reasonmay,however,makeaninferencewhichwillexcitetheimaginationsoastosetloosetheimpulsetheotherway;andthus,thoughtheanimalrichestinreasonmightbealsotheanimalrichestininstinctiveimpulsestoo,hewouldneverseemthefatalautomatonwhicha,merelyinstinctiveanimalwouldbe。
Letusnowturntohumanimpulseswitha,littlemoredetail。Allwehaveascertainedsofaristhatimpulsesofanoriginallyinstinctivecharactermayexist,andyetnotbetraythemselvesbyautomaticfatalityofconduct。
Butinmallwhatimpulsesdoexist?Inthelightofwhathasbeensaid,itisobviousthatanexistingimpulsemaynotalwaysbesuperficiallyapparentevenwhenitsobjectisthere。Andweshallseethatsomeimpulsesmaybemaskedbycausesofwhichwehavenotyetspoken。TWOPRINCIPLESOFNON-UNIFORMITYININSTINCTS。
Wereonedevisinganabstractscheme,nothingwouldbeeasierthantodiscoverfromananimal’sactionsjusthowmanyinstinctshepossessed。
Hewouldreactinonewayonlyuponeachclassofobjectswithwhichhislifehadtodeal;hewouldreactinidenticallythesamewayuponeveryspecimenofaclass;andhewouldreactinvariablyduringhiswholelife。
Therewouldbenogapsamonghis[p。394]instincts;allwouldcometolightwithoutperversionordisguise。Buttherearenosuchabstractanimals,andno-wheredoestheinstinctivelifedisplayitselfinsucha,way。Notonly,aswehaveseen,mayobjectsofthesameclassarousereactionsofOppositesortsinconsequenceofslightchangesintilecircumstances,intheindividualobject,orintheagent’sinwardcondition;buttwootherprinciplesofwhichwehavenotyetspoken,maycomeintoplayandproduceresultssostrikingthatobserversaseminentasMessrs。D。A。SpaldingandRomanesdonothesitatetocallthem’derangementsofthementalconstitution,’
andtoconcludethattheinstinctivemachineryhasgotoutofgear。
Theseprinciplesarethose1。Oftheinhibitionofinstinctsbyhabits;and2。Ofthetransitorinessofinstincts。
Takeninconjunctionwiththetwoformerprinciples——thatthesameobjectmayexciteambiguousimpulses,orsuggestanimpulsedifferentfromthatwhichitexcites,bysuggestingaremoteobject——theyexplainanyamountofdeparturefromuniformityofconduct,withoutimplyinganygettingoutofgearoftheelementaryimpulsesfromwhichtheconductflows。
1。Thelawofinhibitionofinstinctsbyhabitsisthis:
Whenobjectsofacertainclasselicitfromananimalacertainsortofreaction,itoftenhappensthattheanimalbecomespartialtothefirstspecimenoftheclassonwhichithasreacted,andwillnotafterwardreactonanyotherspecimen。
Theselectionofaparticularholetolivein,ofa,particularmate,ofaparticularfeeding-ground,aparticularvarietyofdiet,aparticularanything,inshort,outofapossiblemultitude,isaverywide-spreadtendencyamonganimals,eventhoselowdowninthescale。Thelimpetwillreturntothesamesticking-placeinitsrook,andthelobstertoitsfavoritenookonthesea-bottom。Therabbitwilldeposititsdunginthesamecorner;
thebirdmakesitsnestonthesamebough。Buteachofthesepreferencescarrieswithitaninsensibilitytootheropportunitiesandoccasions——
aninsensibilitywhichcanonlybedescribedphysiologicallyasaninhibitionof[p。395]newimpulsesbythehabitofoldonesalreadyformed。Thepossessionofhomesandwivesofourownmakesusstrangelyinsensibletothecharmsofthoseofotherpeople;Fewofusareadventurousinthematteroffood;
infact,mostofusthinkthereissomethingdisgustinginabilloffaretowhichweareunused。Strangers,weareapttothink,cannotbeworthknowing,especiallyiftheycomefromdistantcities,etc。Theoriginalimpulsewhichgotushomes,wives,dietaries,andfriendsatall,seemstoexhaustitselfinitsfirstachievementsandtoleavenosurplusenergyforreactingonnewcases。Andsoitcomesaboutthat,witnessingthistorpor,anobserverofmankindmightsaythatnoinstinctivepropensitytowardcertainobjectsexistedatall。Itexisted,butitexistedmiscellaneously,orasaninstinctpureandsimple,onlybeforehabitwasformed。Ahabit,oncegraftedonaninstinctivetendency,restrictstherangeofthetendencyitself,andkeepsusfromreactingonanybutthehabitualobject,althoughotherobjectsmightjustaswellhavebeenchosenhadtheybeenthefirst-comers。
Anothersortofarrestofinstinctbyhabitiswherethesameclassofobjectsawakenscontraryinstinctiveimpulses。Heretheimpulsefirstfollowedtowardagivenindividualoftheclassisapttokeephimfromeverawakeningtheoppositeimpulseinus。Infact,thewholeclassmaybeprotectedbythisindividualspecimenfromtheapplicationtoitoftheotherimpulse。Animals,forexample,awakeninachildtheoppositeimpulsesoffearingandfondling。Butifachild,inhisfirstattemptstopatadog,getssnappedatorbitten,sothattheimpulseoffearisstronglyaroused,itmaybethatforyearstocomenodogwillexciteinhimtheimpulsetofondleagain。Ontheotherhand,thegreatestnaturalenemies,ifcarefullyintroducedtoeachotherwhenyoungandguidedattheoutsetbysuperiorauthority,settledownintothose’happyfamilies’
offriendswhichweseeinourmenageries。Younganimals,immediatelyafterbirth,havenoinstinctoffear,butshowtheirdependencebyallowingthemselvestobefreelyhandled。Later,however,theygrow’wild,’and,iflefttothemselves,willnotletmanapproachthem。Iamtoldbyfarmersinthe[p。396]Adirondackwildernessthatitisaveryseriousmatterifacowwandersoffandcalvesinthewoodsandisnotfoundforaweekormore。
Thecalf,bythattime,isaswildandalmostasfleetasadeer,andhardtocapturewithoutviolence。Butcalvesrarelyshowanyparticularwildnesstothemenwhohavebeenincontactwiththemduringthefirstdaysoftheirlife,whentheinstincttoattachthemselvesisuppermost,nordotheydreadstrangersastheywouldifbroughtupwild。
Chickensgiveacuriousillustrationofthesamelaw。Mr。Spalding’swonderfularticleoninstinctshallsupplyuswiththefacts。Theselittlecreaturesshowoppositeinstinctsofattachmentandfear,eitherofwhichmaybearousedbythesameobject,man。Ifachickisbornintheabsenceofthehen,it"willfollowanymovingobject。And,whenguidedbysightalone,theyseemtohavenomoledispositiontofollowahenthantofollowaduckorahumanbeing。Unreflectinglookers-on,whentheysawchickensadayoldrunningafterme,"saysMr。Spalding,"andolderonesfollowingmeformiles,andansweringtomywhistle,imaginedthatImusthavesomeoccultpoweroverthecreatures:whereasIhadsimplyallowedthemtofollowmefromthefirst。Thereistheinstincttofollow;andtheear,priortoexperience,attachesthemtotherightobject。"[7]
Butifamanpresentshimselfforthefirsttimewhentheinstinctoffearisstrong,thephenomenaarealtogetherreversed。Mr。Spaldingkeptthreechickenshoodeduntiltheywerenearlyfourdaysold,andthusdescribestheirbehavior:
"Eachofthem,onbeingunhooded,evincedthegreatestterrortome,dashingoffintheoppositedirectionwheneverIsoughttoapproachit。
Thetableonwhichtheywereunhoodedstoodbeforeawindow,andeachinitsturnbeatagainstthewindowlikeawildbird。Oneofthemdartedbehindsomebooks,and,squeezingitselfintoacorner,remainedcoweringforalengthoftime。Wemightguessatthemeaningofthisstrangeandexceptionalwildness;buttheoddfactisenoughformypresentpurpose。Whatevermighthavebeenthemeaningofthismarkedchangeintheirmentalconstitution-hadtheybeenunhoodedonthepreviousdaytheywouldhaveruntomeinsteadoffromme——itcouldnothavebeentheeffectofexperience;itmusthaveresultedwhollyfromchangesintheirownorganizations。"[8][p。
397]
TheircasewaspreciselyanalogoustothatoftheAdirondackcalves。
Thetwooppositeinstinctsrelativetothesameobjectripeninsuccession。
Ifthefirstoneengendersahabit,thathabitwillinhibittheapplicationofthesecondinstincttothatobject。Allanimalsaretameduringtheearliestphaseoftheirinfancy。Habitsformedthenlimittheeffectsofwhateverinstinctsofwildnessmaylaterbeevolved。
Mr。Romanesgivessomeverycuriousexamplesofthewayinwhichinstinctivetendenciesmaybealteredbythehabitstowhichtheirfirst’objects’
havegivenrise。Thecasesarealittlemorecomplicatedthanthosementionedinthetext,inasmuchastheobjectreactedonnotonlystartsahabitwhichinhibitsotherkindsofimpulsetowarditalthoughsuchotherkindsmightbenatural,butevenmodifiesbyitsownpeculiarconducttheconstitutionoftheimpulsewhichitactuallyawakens。
Twooftheinstancesinquestionarethoseofhenswhohatchedoutbroodsofchicksafterhavinginthreepreviousyearshatchedducks。Theystrovetocoaxortocompeltheirnewprogenytoenterthewater,andseemedmuchperplexedattheirunwillingness。Anotherhenadoptedabroodofyoungferretswhich,havinglosttheirmother,wereputunderher。Duringallthetimetheywereleftwithhershehadtositonthenest,fortheycouldnotwanderlikeyoungchicks。Sheobeyedtheirhoarsegrowlingasshewouldhaveobeyedherchickens’peep。Shecombedouttheirhairwithherbill,and"usedfrequentlytostopandlookwithoneeyeatthewrigglingnestful,withaninquiringgraze,expressiveofastonishment。"Atothertimesshewouldflyupwithaloudscream,doubtlessbecausetheorphanshadnippedherintheirsearchforteats。Finally,aBrahmahennursedayoungpeacockduringtheenormousperiodofeighteenmonths,andneverlaidanyeggsduringallthistime。TheabnormaldegreeofpridewhichsheshowedinherwonderfulchickenisdescribedbyDr。Romanesasludicrous。"[9]
[p。398]
2。Thisleadsustothelawoftransitoriness,whichisthis:Manyinstinctsripenatacertainageandthenfadeaway。Aconsequenceofthislawisthatif,duringthetimeofsuchaninstinct’svivacity,objectsadequatetoarouseitaremetwith,ahabitofactingonthemisformed,whichremainswhentheoriginalinstincthaspassedaway;
butthatifnosuchobjectsaremetwith,thennohabitwillbeformed;
and,lateroninlife,whentheanimalmeetstheobjects,hewillaltogetherfailtoreact,asattheearlierepochhewouldinstinctivelyhavedone。
Nodoubtsuchalawisrestricted。Someinstinctsarefarlesstransientthanothers——thoseconnectedwithfeedingand’self-preservation’mayhardlybetransientatall,endsome,afterfadingoutforatime,recurasstrongasever,e。g。,theinstinctsofpairingandrearingyoung。Thelaw,however,thoughnotabsolute,iscertainlyverywide-spread,andafewexampleswillillustratejustwhatitmeans。
Inthechickensandcalvesabovementioned,itisobviousthattheinstincttofollowandbecomeattachedfadesoutafterafewdays,andthattheinstinctofflightthentakesitsplace,theconductofthecreaturetowardmanbeingdecidedbytheformationornon-formationofacertainhabitduringthosedays。Thetransiencyofthechicken’sinstincttofollowisalsoprovedbyitsconducttowardthehen。Mr。Spaldingkeptsomechickensshutuptilltheywerecomparativelyold,and,speakingofthese,hesays:
"Achickenthathasnotheardthecallofthemothertilluntileightortendaysoldthenhearsitasifithearditnot。IregrettofindthatonthispointmynotesarenotsofullasIcouldwish,orastheymighthavebeen。Thereis,however,anaccountofonechickenthatcouldnotbereturnedtothemotherwhentendaysold。Thehenfollowedit,andtriedtoenticeitineveryway;still,itcontinuallyleftherandrantothehouseortoanypersonofwhomitcaughtsight。Thisitpersistedindoing,thoughbeatenbackwithasmallbranchdozensoftimes,and,indeed,cruellymistreated。Itwasalsoplacedunderthemotheratnight,butitagainleftherinthemorning。"
Theinstinctofsuckingisripeinallmammalsatbirth,andleadstothathabitoftakingthebreastwhich,inthehumaninfant,maybeprolongedbydailyexerciselongbe-[p。399]yonditsusualtermofayearorayearandahalf。Buttheinstinctitselfistransient,inthesensethatif,foranyreason,thechildbefedbyspoonduringthefirstfewdaysofitslifeandnotputtothebreast,itmaybenoeasymatterafterthattomakeitsuckatall。Soofcalves。Iftheirmotherdie,orbedry,orrefusetoletthemsuckforadayortwo,sothattheyarefedbyhand,itbecomeshardtogetthemtosuckatallwhenanewnurseisprovided。
Theeasewithwhichsuckingcreaturesareweaned,bysimplybreakingthehabitandgivingthemfoodinanewway,showsthattheinstinct,purelyassuch,mustbeentirelyextinct。
Assuredlythesimplefactthatinstinctsaretransient,andthattheeffectoflateronesmaybealteredbythehabitswhichearlieroneshaveleftbehind,isafarmorephilosophicalexplanationthanthenotionofaninstinctiveconstitutionvaguely’deranged’or’thrownoutofgear。’
IhaveobservedaScotchterrier,bornonthefloorofastableinDecember,andtransferredsixweekslatertoa,carpetedhouse,make,whenhewaslessthanfourmonthsold,averyelaboratepretenseofburyingthings,suchasgloves,etc。,withwhichhehadplayedtillhewastired。Hescratchedthecarpetwithhisforefeet,droppedtheobjectfromhismouthuponthespot,andthenscratchedallaboutitwithbothfore-andhind-feet,ifIrememberrightly,andfinallywentawayandletitlie。Ofcourse,theactwasentirelyuseless。Isawhimperformitatthatage,somefourorfivetimes,andneveragaininhislife。Theconditionswerenotpresenttofixahabitwhichshouldlastwhenthepromptinginstinctdiedaway。
Butsupposemeatinsteadofa,glove,earthinsteadofacarpet,hunger-pangsinsteadofafreshsupperafewhourslater,anditiseasytoseehowthisdogmighthavegotintoahabitofburyingsuperfluousfood,whichmighthavelastedallhislife。Whocanswearthatthestrictlyinstructivepartofthefood-buryingpropensityinthewildCanidæ;maynotbeasshort-livedasitwasinthisterrier?
AsimilarinstanceisgivenbyDr。H。D。Schmidt[10]ofNewOrleans:
[p。400]
"ImaycitetheexampleofayoungsquirrelwhichIhadtamed,anumberofyearsago,whenservinginthearmy,andwhenIhadsufficientleisure;
andopportunitytostudythehabitsofanimals。Intheautumn,beforethewintersetsin,adultsquirrelsburyasmanynutsastheycancollect,separately,intheground。Holdingthenutfirmlybetweentheirteeth,theyfirstscratchaholeintheground,and,afterpointingtheirearsinalldirectionstoconvincethemselvesthatnoenemyisnear,theyram——thehead,withthenutstillbetweenthefrontteeth,servingasasledge-hammer——thenutintotheground,andthenfilluptheholebymeansoftheirpaws。Thewholeprocessisexecutedwithgreatrapidity,and,asitappearedtome,alwayswithexactlythesamemovements;infact,itisdonesowellthatIcouldneverdiscoverthetracesoftheburial-ground。Now,asregardstheyoungsquirrel,which,ofcourse,neverhadbeenpresentattheburialofanut,Iobservedthat,afterhavingeatenanumberofhickory-nutstoappeaseitsappetite,itwouldtakeonebetweenitsteeth,thensituprightandlisteninalldirections。Findingallright,itwouldscratchuponthesmoothblanketonwhichIwasplayingwithitasiftomakeahole,thenhammerwiththenutbetweenitsteethupontheblanket,andfinallyperformallthemotionsrequiredtofillupahole——intheair;afterwhichitwouldjumpaway,leavingthenut,ofcourse,uncovered。"
Theanecdote,ofcourse,illustratesbeautifullythecloserelationofinstincttoreflexaction——aparticularperceptioncallsforthparticularmovements,andthatisall。Dr。Schmidtwritesmethatthesquirrelinquestionsoonpassedawayfromhisobservation。Itmayfairlybepresumedthat,ifhehadbeenlongretainedprisonerinacage,hewouldsoonhaveforgottenhisgesticulationsoverthehickory-nuts。
Onemight,indeed,gostillfurtherwithsafety,andexpectthat,ifsuchacaptivesquirrelwerethensetfree,hewouldneverafterwardsacquirethispeculiarinstinctofhistribe。[11]
Leavingloweranimalsaside,andturningtohumaninstincts,weseethelawoftransiencycorroboratedonthe[p。401]widestscalebythealternationofdifferentinterestsandpassionsashumanlifegoeson。
Withthechild,lifeisallplayandfairy-talesandlearningtheexternalpropertiesof’things;’withtheyouth,itisbodilyexercisesofamoresystematicsort,novelsoftherealworld,boon-fellowshipandsong,friendshipandlove,nature,travelandadventure,scienceandphilosophy;withtheman,ambition-andpolicy,acquisitiveness,responsibilitytoothers,andtheselfishzestofthebattleoflife。Ifaboygrowsupaloneattheageofgamesandsports,andlearnsneithertoplayball,norrow,norsail,norride,norskate,norshoot,probablyhewillbesedentarytotheendofhisdays;and,thoughthebestofopportunitiesbeaffordedhimforlearningthesethingslater,itisahundredtoonebuthewillpassthembyandshrinkbackfromtheeffortoftakingthosenecessaryfirststepstheprospectofwhich,atanearlierage,wouldhavefilledhimwitheagerdelight。Thesexualpassionexpiresafteraprotractedreign;
butitiswellknownthatitspeculiarmanifestationsinagivenindividualdependalmostentirelyonthehabitshemayformduringtheearlyperiodofitsactivity。Exposuretobadcompanythenmakeshimalooseliverallhisdays;chastitykeptatfirstmakesthesameeasylateron。Inallpedagogythegreatthingistostriketheironwhilehot,andtoseizethewaveofthepupil’sinterestineachsuccessivesubjectbeforeitsebbhascome,sothatknowledgemaybegotandahabitofskillacquired——aheadwayofinterest,inshort,secured,onwhichafterwardtheindividualmayfloat。
Thereisahappymomentforfixingskillindrawing,formakingboyscollectorsinnaturalhistory,andpresentlydissectorsandbotanists;thenforinitiatingthemintotheharmoniesofmechanicsandthewondersofphysicalandchemicallaw。Later,introspectivepsychologyandthemetaphysicalandreligiousmysteriestaketheirturn;and,lastofall,thedramaofhumanaffairsandworldlywisdominthewidestsenseoftheterm。Ineachofusasaturation-pointissoonreachedinallthesethings;theimpetusofourpurelyintellectualzealexpires,andunlessthetopicbeoneassociatedwithsomeurgentpersonalneedthatkeepsourwitsconstantlywhettedaboutit,we[p。402]settleintoanequilibrium,andliveonwhatwelearnedwhenourinterestwasfreshandinstinctive,withoutaddingtothestore。Outsideoftheirownbusiness,theideasgainedbymenbeforetheyaretwenty-fivearepracticallytheonlyideastheyshallhaveintheirlives。Theycannotgetanythingnew。Disinterestedcuriosityispast,thementalgroovesandchannelsset,thepowerofassimilationgone。Ifbychanceweeverdolearnanythingaboutsomeentirelynewtopicweareafflictedwithastrangesenseofinsecurity,andwefeartoadvancearesoluteopinion。But,withthingslearnedintheplasticdaysofinstinctivecuriosityweneverloseentirelyoursenseofbeingathome。Thereremainsakinship,asentimentofintimateacquaintance,which,evenwhenweknowwehavefailedtokeepabreastofthesubject,mattersuswithasenseofpoweroverit,andmakesusfeelnotaltogetheroutofthepale。
Whateverindividualexceptionsmightbecitedtothisareofthesortthat’provetherule。’
Todetectthemomentoftheinstinctivereadinessforthesubjectis,then,thefirstdutyofeveryeducator。Asforthepupils,itwouldprobablyleadtoamoreearnesttemperonthepartofcollegestudentsiftheyhadlessbeliefintheirunlimitedfutureintellectualpotentialities,andcouldbebroughttorealizethatwhateverphysicsandpoliticaleconomyandphilosophytheyarenowacquiringare,forbetterorworse,thephysicsandpoliticaleconomyandphilosophythatwillhavetoservethemtotheend。
Thenaturalconclusiontodrawfromthistransiencyofinstinctsisthatmostinstinctsareimplantedforthesakeofgivingrisetohabits,andthat,thispurposeonceaccomplished,theinstinctsthemselves,assuch,havenoraisond’ê;treinthepsychicaleconomy,andconsequentlyfadeaway。Thatoccasionallyaninstinctshouldfadebeforecircumstancespermitofahabitbeingformed,orthat,ifthehabitbeformed,otherfactorsthanthepureinstinctshouldmodifyitscourse,neednotsurpriseus。Lifeisfulloftheimperfectadjustmenttoindividualcases,ofarrangementswhich,takingthespeciesasawhole,arequiteorderlyandregular。Instinctcannotbeexpectedtoescapethisgeneralrisk。[p。403]SPECIALHUMANINSTINCTS。
Letusnowtestourprinciplesbyturningtohumaninstinctsinmoredetail。Wecannotpretendinthesepagestobeminuteorexhaustive。Butwecansayenoughtosetalltheabovegeneralitiesinamorefavorablelight。But,first,whatkindofmotorreactionsuponobjectsshallwecountasinstincts?This,asaforesaid,isasomewhatarbitrarymatter。Someoftheactionsarousedinusbyobjectsgonofurtherthanourownbodies。
Suchisthebristlingupoftheattentionwhenanovelobjectisperceived,orthe’expression’onthefaceorthebreathingapparatusofanemotionitmayexcite。Thesemovementsmergeintoordinaryreflexactionslikelaughingwhentickled,ormakingawryfaceatabadtaste。Otheractionstakeeffectupontheouterworld。Suchareflightfromawildbeast,imitationofwhatweseeacomradedo,etc。Onthewholeitisbesttobecatholic,sinceitisveryhardtodrawanexactline;andcallbothofthesekindsofactivityinstinctive,sofaraseithermaybenaturallyprovokedbythepresenceofspecialsortsofoutwardfact。
ProfessorPreyer,inhiscarefullittlework,’DieSeelesKindes,’says"instinctiveactsareinmanfewinnumber,and,apartfromthoseconnectedwiththesexualpassion,difficulttorecognizeafterearlyyouthispast。"
Andheadds,"somuchthemoreattentionshouldwepaytotheinstinctivemovementsofnew-bornbabies,sucklings,andsmallchildren。"Thatinstinctiveactsshouldbeeasiestrecognizedinchildhoodwouldbeaverynaturaleffectofourprinciplesoftransitoriness,andoftherestrictiveinfluenceofhabitsonceacquired;butweshallseehowfartheyarefrombeing’fewinnumber’inman。ProfessorPreyerdividesthemovementsofinfantsintoimpulsive,reflex,andinstinctive。Byimpulsivemovementshemeansrandommovementsoflimbs,body,andvoice,withnoaim,andbeforeperceptionisaroused。Amongthefirstreflexmovementsarecryingoncontactwiththeair,sneezing,snuffling,snoring,coughing,sighing,sobbing,gagging,vomiting,hiccuping,starting,movingthelimbswhentickled,touched,orblownupon,etc。,etc。[p。404]
Ofthemovementscalledbyhiminstinctiveinthechild,ProfessorPreyergivesafullaccount。HerrSchneiderdoesthesame;andastheirdescriptionsagreewitheachotherandwithwhatotherwritersaboutinfancysay,I
willbasemyownverybriefstatementontheirs。
Sucking:almostperfectatbirth;notcoupledwithanycongenitaltendencytoseekthebreast,thisbeingalateracquisition。Aswehaveseen,suckingisatransitoryinstinct。
Bitinganobjectplacedinthemouth,chewingandgrindingtheteeth;lickingsugar;makingcharacteristicgrimacesoverbitterandsweettastes;spittingout。
Claspinganobjectwhichtouchesthefingersortoes。Later,attemptstograspatanobjectseenatadistance。
Pointingatsuchobjects,andmakingapeculiarsoundexpressiveofdesire,which,inmyownthreechildren,wasthefirstmanifestationofspeech,occurringmanyweeksbeforeothersignificantsounds。
Carryingtothemouthoftheobject,whengrasped。Thisinstinct,guidedandinhibitedbythesenseoftaste,andcombinedwiththeinstinctsofbiting,chewing,sucking,spitting-out,etc。,andwiththereflexactofswallowing,leadsintheindividualtoasetofhabitswhichconstitutehisfunctionofalimentation,andwhichmayormaynotbegraduallymodifiedaslifegoeson。
Cryingatbodilydiscomfort,hunger,orpain,andatsolitude。Smilingatbeingnoticed,fondled,orsmiledatbyothers。Itseemsverydoubtfulwhetheryounginfantshaveanyinstinctivefearofaterribleorscowlingface。Ihavebeenunabletomakemyownchildren,underayearold,changetheirexpressionwhenIchangedmine;atmosttheymanifestedattentionorcuriosity。Preyerinstancesaprotrusionofthelips,which,hesays,maybesogreatastoremindoneofthatinthechimpanzee,asaninstinctiveexpressionofconcentratedattentioninthehumaninfant。
Turningtheheadasideasagestureofrejection,agestureusuallyaccompaniedwithafrownandabendingbackofthebody,andwithholdingthebreath。
Holdingheaderect。
Sittingup。[p。405]
Standing。
Locomotion。Theearlymovementsofchildren’slimbsaremoreorlesssymmetrical。Laterababywillmovehislegsinalternationifsuspendedintheair。Butuntiltheimpulsetowalkawakensbythenaturalripeningofthenerve-centres,itseemstomakenodifferencehowoftenthechild’sfeetmaybeplacedincontactwiththeground;thelegsremainlimp,anddonotrespondtothesensationofcontactinthesolesbymuscularcontractionspressingdownwards。Nosooner,however,isthestandingimpulseborn,thanthechildstiffenshislegsandpressesdownwardassoonashefeelsthefloor。Insomebabiesthisisthefirstlocomotoryreaction。Inothersitisprecededbytheinstincttocreep,whicharises,asIcantestify,ofteninaverysuddenway。Yesterdaythebabysatquitecontentedlywhereverhewasput;to-dayithasbecomeimpossibletokeephimsittingatall,soirresistibleistheimpulse,arousedbythesightofthefloor,tothrowhimselfforwarduponhishands。Usuallythearmsaretooweak,andtheambitiouslittleexperimenterfallsonhisnose。Buthisperseveranceisdauntless,andheendsinafewdaysbylearningtotravelrapidlyaroundtheroominthequadrupedalway。Thepositionofthelegsin’creeping’variesmuchfromonechildtoanother。Myownchild,whencreeping,wasoftenobservedtopickupobjectsfromthefloorwithhismouth,aphenomenonwhich,asDr。O。W。Holmeshasremarked,liketheearlytendencytograspwiththetoes,easilylendsitselftointerpretationasareminiscenceofprehumanancestralhabits。
Thewalkinginstinctmayawakenwithnolesssudden-ness,anditsentireeducationbecompletedwithinaweek’scompass,barring,ofcourse,itlittle’grogginess’inthegait。Individualinfantsvaryenormously;butonthewholeitissafetosaythatthemodeofdevelopmentoftheselocomotorinstinctsisinconsistentwiththeaccountgivenbytheolderEnglishassociationistschool,oftheirbeingresultsoftheindividual’seducation,duealtogethertothegradualassociationofcertainperceptionswithcertainhap-hazardmovementsandcertainresultantpleasures。Mr[p。406]Bainhastried,[12]bydescribingthedemeanorofnew-bornlambs,toshowthatlocomotionislearnedbyaveryrapidexperience。Buttheobservationrecordedprovesthefacultytobealmostperfectfromthefirst;andallotherswhohaveobservednew-borncalves,lambs,andpigsagreethatintheseanimalsthepowersofstandingandwalking,andofinterpretingthetopographicalsignificanceofsightsandsounds,areallbutfullydevelopedatbirth。Ofteninanimalswhoseemtobe’learning’towalkorflythesemblanceisillusive。Theawkwardnessshownisnotduetothefactthat’experience’hasnotyetbeentheretoassociatethesuccessfulmovementsandexcludethefailures,buttothefactthattheanimalisbeginninghisattemptsbeforetheco-ordinatingcentreshavequiteripenedfortheirwork。Mr。Spalding’sobservationsonthispointareconclusiveastobirds。
"Birds,"besays,Adonotlearntofly。TwoyearsagoIshutupfiveunfledgedswallowsinasmallbox,notmuchlargerthanthenestfromwhichtheyweretaken。
Thelittlebox,whichhadawirefront,washungonthewallnearthenest,andtheyoungswallowswerefedbytheirparentsthroughthewires。Inthisconfinement,wheretheycouldnotevenextendtheirwings,theywerekeptuntilaftertheywerefullyfledged……Ongoingtosettheprisonersfree,onewasfounddead……Theremainingfourwereallowedtoescapeoneatatime。Twoofthesewereperceptiblywaveringandunsteadyintheirflight。Oneofthem,afteraflightofsomeninetyyards,disappearedamongsometrees。"No。3andNo。4"neverflewagainstanything,norwasthere,intheiravoidingobjects,anyappreciabledifferencebetweenthemandtheoldbirds。No。3sweptroundtheWellingtonia,andNo。4roseoverthehedge,justasweseetheoldswallowsdoingeveryhouroftheday。
Ihavethissummerverifiedtheseobservations。OftwoswallowsIhadsimilarlyconfined,one,onbeingsetfree,hewayardortwoclosetotheground,roseinthedirectionofabeech-tree,whichitgracefullyavoided;itwasseenforaconsiderabletimesweepingroundthebeechesandperformingmagnificentevolutionsintheairhighabovethem。Theother,whichwasobservedtobeattheairwithitswingsmorethanusual,wassoonlosttosight,behindsometrees。Titmice,tomtits,andwrensIhavemadethesubjectsofsimilarobservations,andwithsimilarresults。"[13]
Inthelightofthisreport,onemaywellbetemptedtomakeapredictionaboutthehumanchild,slidsaythatifa[p。407]babywerekeptfromgettingonhisfeetfortwoorthreeweeksafterthefirstimpulsetowalkhadshownitselfinhim,——asmallblisteroneachsolewoulddothebusiness,——hemightthenbeexpectedtowalkaboutaswell,throughthemereripeningofhisnerve-centres,asiftheordinaryprocessof’learning’hadbeenallowedtooccurduringalltheblisteredtime。Itistobehopedthatsomescientificwidower,leftalonewithhisoffspringatthecriticalmoment,mayerelongtestthissuggestiononthelivingsubject。Climbingontrees,fences,furniture,banisters,etc。,isawell-markedinstinctivepropensitywhichripensafterthefourthyear。