114 STUDIES IN GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY 



were formerly believed to be determined by the "will" of 

 the animal, the authors are still dissatisfied. They did not 

 doubt that ultimately a physical solution of the question 

 would be found, but they expected something more sublime, 

 something which is more closely related to the mysticism of 

 the ganglion cells. Of course, our knowledge of the process 

 is not exhausted when it is proved that the direction of the 

 rays of light prescribes the direction of the progressive move- 

 ments of ELeinatococcus swarm-spores or the Nauplii of 

 Balanns; just as little as the knowledge of the chemical 

 effects of light is today exhausted. Yet no one will say 

 that "instinct" is the determining circumstance in these 

 physical phenomena. 



6. Just as the past generation of physiologists felt it 

 to be a handicap that instead of looking for the causes of 

 life-phenomena, investigators were satisfied with the phrase, 

 "The vital force is tin- cause," so it is a handicap to us that 

 within the more limited sphere of the so-called psychic life- 

 phenomena the influence of this scholastic method of think- 

 ing has survived to the present time. The handicap lies in 

 the fact, that if one says that "instinct" or "will" deter- 

 mines a motion, the true problem involved is ignored or 

 concealed. This true problem is the analysis of the circum- 

 stances which in each case determine unequivocally the 

 "voluntary" movements of an animal. It was the object of 

 this paper to point out that we must endeavor to solve this 

 problem with as little concern for "instinct" and "will" as 

 for "vital force." 



