84 SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ORGANISM 



of reasoning, corresponding to what we have called the 

 " psychoid " as regulating action. 



Indeed, it seems to me that the general classification 

 of Aristotle may be accepted even nowadays, at least 

 with a few modifications, if we give up his restriction of 

 vovs as being only possessed by man. Certainly there is 

 more than mere instinct in animals, at least if the word 

 instinct is used in its original meaning, that is in the sense 

 of purposefulness and perfection in reacting without any 

 experience or anything similar to experience in any way. 

 We do not intend to deny by this statement the great 

 differences that exist between acting in man and acting 

 in even the highest animals ; later on we shall learn a 

 little more about these problems. But there certainly 

 is " experience " in the proper sense of the word in many 

 animals. In this respect I cannot agree with the terminology 

 of Wasmann, though, what is more important, I almost 

 wholly agree with his actual analysis of the facts in 

 question. 



We now have completed the outlines of our analytical 

 study of action as such, and have given a distinctive name 

 to its results. But we must not yet leave our present 

 studies : the part which the brain and nervous system 

 play in acting is not yet clear from what we have said, 

 and a few words about the real differences in acting 

 between man and animals may also seem to be required. 



THE " SPECIFIC ENERGY " OF THE SENSORY NERVES 



According to our analytical researches so far it might 

 seem as if the brain were almost unnecessary in acting ; 



