THE WORLD OF LIVING ORGANISMS 175 



only indication formed in general outlines is that of the moving 

 bird. No indication from the eye-spots on its own wings 

 reaches the mark-organ, and the moth knows nothing of its 

 effect on the specific sensed-world of the birds. 



From human analogy we are far too ready to seek in the 

 subject's knowledge the source of the correspondence between 

 an action and its use to the agent, a knowledge that is present 

 as mark-rule in the mark-organ and is able to foresee conse- 

 quences. This is why the unfortunate expression " purpose- 

 fulness in organic Nature " is always used, and also why 

 so much value is attached to the psychology of animals. 

 Now the psychic processes assumed in animals can play but 

 a transient part in their lives. When we speak of what the 

 psyche does, we can only mean by that the rules in the mark- 

 organ as observed from within, and we shall not get far if 

 we try to build up the purposefulness of life upon such a 

 basis. 



For in the actions of the lowest animals (I need only 

 remind you of the malaria parasite), there is revealed in the 

 inter-adjustment the same wise foresight as appears in those 

 of the highest organisms. 



And what would become of man himself, if he depended 

 for direction merely on his own knowledge of his psyche ? 

 The ideas that most people have concerning what goes on in 

 their own bodies are exceedingly meagre, and, for the most 

 part, incorrect. Modern hygiene gives us a great deal of 

 information as to the marvellous wisdom of our tissues in 

 their fight against foreign poisons ; but of this we should 

 never have been conscious ourselves. 



This force of Nature we have called conformity with 

 " plan," because we are able to follow it with our appercep- 

 tion only when that combines the manifold details into one 

 whole by means of rules. Higher rules, which unite things 

 separated even by time, are in general called plans, without 



