Organic Connection Between Physical and Psychical 275 



poses, let us briefly summarize what we have learned. 



In each phase we have found the organism, living, whole 

 and normal, indispensable to a comprehension of the phe- 

 nomena examined. Or, expressed in a different way, we have 

 found it possible in each phase to reach only a very imperfect 

 understanding of the phenomena by referring them to the 

 elements which can be discovered in them. For example, the 

 theory of association of ideas is inadequate to explain ra- 

 tional life, in such manifestations as apperception and mental 

 initiative and creativeness. 



In the emotional phase, in such emotions as fear, rage and 

 sex passion, not only does cursory observation recognize 

 the involvement of a large part of the organism, but physi- 

 ological investigation is able greatly to extend our recogni- 

 tion of this involvement by showing how the nervous system 

 in its cerebro-spinal and its autonomic divisions, the cir- 

 culatory, the alimentary, and the internal-secretory sys- 

 tems, are essentially and reciprocally involved. 



As to the organismal character of psychic life in the 

 phase of instinct, it suffices to recall that one of the most 

 widely accepted criteria for differentiating instinctive from 

 reflex activities is that the former involve the organism as a 

 unity, a whole, while reflexes, according to this criterion, 

 pertain only to limited portions of the organism. "An 

 instinct is a more or less complicated activity manifested by 

 an organism which is acting, first, as a whole rather than as 

 a part." 20 To this statement of the matter may be added 

 that when the instinctive act is in the interest of the indi- 

 vidual performing it, the act is not only by but for the in- 

 dividual as a whole. 



As to the reflex phase (if that is to be reckoned as psy- 

 chic) the organismal nature of tropisms has had so large 

 a place in our discussion that surely no more need be done in 

 this summary than to remind the reader of our discussion of 

 tropisms. And even reflexes of a simpler fom than the 



