﻿MAR. 
  19, 
  1922 
  TROI^AND: 
  PSYCHOPHYSICS 
  THS 
  KBY 
  Olf 
  PHYSICS, 
  ETC. 
  161 
  

  

  existence. 
  The 
  same 
  is 
  true 
  of 
  time, 
  which 
  is 
  merely 
  an 
  aspect 
  of 
  

   concrete 
  changes 
  and 
  their 
  functional 
  interrelations. 
  Such 
  inter- 
  

   relations 
  are 
  symbolized 
  physically 
  by 
  the 
  transfer 
  of 
  radiation, 
  and 
  

   the 
  velocity 
  of 
  this 
  transfer 
  is 
  thus 
  the 
  natural 
  reference 
  constant 
  

   for 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  standard 
  temporal 
  and 
  structural 
  systems. 
  

   Although 
  we 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  able 
  from 
  these 
  considerations 
  immediately 
  

   to 
  deduce 
  the 
  Einsteinian 
  equations, 
  we 
  can 
  at 
  least 
  recognize 
  that 
  

   the 
  psychical 
  monist's 
  universe 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  different 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  

   non-relativity 
  C. 
  G. 
  S. 
  physics 
  to 
  make 
  it 
  possible 
  for 
  the 
  equations 
  

   in 
  question 
  to 
  fit 
  its 
  properties 
  without 
  inconsistency. 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion 
  a 
  word 
  must 
  be 
  said 
  concerning 
  the 
  relation 
  of 
  the 
  

   psychical 
  monistic 
  hypothesis 
  to 
  the 
  philosophical 
  discipline 
  known 
  

   as 
  metaphysics. 
  This 
  discipline 
  has 
  several 
  subdivisions, 
  such 
  as 
  

   epistemology 
  and 
  ontology, 
  but 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  main 
  efforts 
  has 
  always 
  

   been 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  inherent 
  nature 
  of 
  reality, 
  and 
  in 
  particular 
  

   reality 
  independent 
  of 
  individual 
  experience 
  or 
  merely 
  "phenomenal" 
  

   representations. 
  For 
  every 
  phenomenon 
  it 
  has 
  tended 
  to 
  postulate 
  

   a 
  "noumenon" 
  or 
  a 
  thing-in-itself. 
  Physics, 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  interpreted 
  

   it, 
  clearly 
  has 
  a 
  strong 
  metaphysical 
  inclination 
  in 
  this 
  respect, 
  but 
  

   only 
  materialistic 
  metaphysics 
  has 
  accepted 
  physics 
  as 
  actually 
  answer- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  metaphysical, 
  or 
  the 
  "metempirical" 
  question. 
  Metaphysi- 
  

   cians 
  other 
  than 
  the 
  materialistic 
  ones 
  have 
  in 
  general 
  worked 
  entirely 
  

   by 
  arm-chair 
  guesses 
  or 
  have 
  employed 
  idiosyncratic 
  methods, 
  such 
  

   as 
  Hegel's 
  principle 
  of 
  thesis, 
  antithesis, 
  and 
  synthesis. 
  Now, 
  psy- 
  

   chical 
  monism 
  very 
  evidently 
  steps 
  into 
  the 
  metaphysical 
  arena 
  with 
  

   a 
  definite 
  theory 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  nature 
  of 
  things 
  in 
  themselves; 
  but 
  

   it 
  does 
  more 
  than 
  this, 
  it 
  brings 
  with 
  it 
  a 
  sword 
  with 
  which 
  to 
  engage 
  

   in 
  the 
  metaphysical 
  fray 
  of 
  words: 
  a 
  definite 
  method 
  of 
  research. 
  

  

  This 
  new 
  method 
  or 
  "novum 
  organon" 
  for 
  metaphysics 
  consists 
  

   simply 
  in 
  determining 
  carefully 
  the 
  laws 
  which 
  link 
  the 
  factors 
  of 
  

   human 
  consciousness 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  brain 
  function 
  and 
  then 
  general- 
  

   izing 
  these 
  laws 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  applied 
  not 
  merely 
  to 
  brains 
  but 
  

   to 
  any 
  physical 
  structure 
  or 
  process 
  whatsoever. 
  The 
  possibility 
  of 
  

   doing 
  this 
  rests 
  upon 
  the 
  continuity 
  of 
  nature 
  and 
  upon 
  the 
  belief 
  

   that 
  human 
  consciousness 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  complex 
  to 
  exemplify 
  all 
  of 
  

   the 
  elementary 
  psycho-physical 
  relationships. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  principle 
  

   of 
  the 
  "flower 
  in 
  the 
  crannied 
  wall" 
  from 
  a 
  careful 
  study 
  of 
  which 
  we 
  

   can 
  infer 
  the 
  constitution 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  universe. 
  

  

  If 
  time 
  permitted 
  we 
  might 
  go 
  on 
  to 
  apply 
  this 
  method 
  at 
  least 
  

  

  