THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY. 33 



mon but the idea of evolution, with which they are all more or less 

 imbued. In a word, we have but one other thinker with whom, in 

 point of influence on the higher thought of this, and probably of sev- 

 eral succeeding generations, Mr. Spencer can be classed ; it does not 

 need saying that that other is Mr. J. S. Mill. 



As we cannot present such an outline of Mr. Spencer's system of 

 psychology as would make it generally intelligible, the purpose of di- 

 recting attention to the work will perhaps be best served by selecting 

 as the subject of remark one or two points to which the presence of 

 the controversial element may lend a special interest. After pointing 

 out that the cardinal fact brought to light, when nervous action is 

 looked at entirely from the objective point of view, is, that the amount 

 and heterogeneity of motion exhibited by the various living creatures 

 are greater or less in proportion to the development of the nervous 

 system, Mr. Spencer comes to the vexed question of the relation be- 

 tween nervous phenomena and the phenomena of consciousness. This 

 is a subject about which, in its more subtle aspects, there is much un- 

 certainty and some confusion of thought. It may be taken as estab- 

 lished, that every mode of consciousness is a concomitant of some 

 nervous change. Given certain physical conditions, accompanied by 

 a special state of consciousness, and there is every reason to believe 

 that physical conditions in every respect identical will always be at- 

 tended by a similar state of consciousness. This, and not more than 

 this, we think, was intended by Mr. Spencer in his chapter on iEstho- 

 physiology. Nevertheless, several able men have, it would appear, 

 been led to suppose that he countenances a kind of materialism (not 

 using the word to imply any thing objectionable ; for why not be ma- 

 terialists, if materialism be truth?), which forms no part of his philos- 

 ophy. To give precision and emphasis to what we say, we would take 

 the liberty to refer to the position taken up by Dr. Bastian in his re- 

 markably able and important work on the " Beginnings of Life." The 

 expi-ession that definitely raises the issue of which we wish to speak, 

 and which at the same time fixes Dr. Bastian to a view not in harmony 

 with the teaching of Mr. Spencer, is the following : " We have not 

 yet been able to show that there is evolved, during brain action, an 

 amount of heat, or other mode of physical energy, less than there would 

 have been had not the Sensations been felt and the Thouo-hts thought ; " 

 but he believes that this is the case. Our present object is not so 

 much to show that here speculation has got on the wrong track, as 

 that, if we understand Mr. Spencer, it is not his opinion that any thing 

 of this kind takes place ; though certainly some ambiguous phrases 

 might be held to convey this meaning. We have mentioned the sig- 

 nificant fact that the size of the nervous system holds a pretty constant 

 relation to the amount and heterogeneity of motion generated. The 

 implication is, that none of the motion evolved during nervous action 

 disappears from the object world, passes into consciousness in the same 



VOL. III. 3 



