3. ACTION 



a. PRELIMINARIES 



THE way generally taken by science is from the simple to 

 the complicated phenomena, and therefore when turning to 

 the analysis of those organic movements which are called 

 " actions/' we might probably be expected to follow this 

 ordinary and well-established route. But we shall not do 

 so, and we have good reasons for so choosing our path. 

 It might seem most natural, after having discussed the 

 main points of the theory of reflexes and instincts, to 

 proceed to analyse first the most simple cases of what might 

 for any reason whatever be called " action," and, after 

 surveying the whole series of animal organisms, to end by 

 analysing the action of man. But there is one special 

 point which renders a totally different arrangement of 

 materials far more suitable and convenient. On account 

 of a very strange feature, which, in spite of its strangeness 

 may be pronounced the most universally known in 

 theoretical biology, we prefer to begin our analysis of 

 action with those cases where action is of the most 

 complicated nature, and only to add certain remarks about 

 its simpler forms at the very end. The reasoning and 



analysing naturalist is an acting organism himself that is 



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