THE PROBLEM 1/12 



Such an observation, showing that consciousness is sometimes 

 not necessary, gives us no right to deduce that consciousness 

 does not exist. The truth is quite otherwise, for the fact of the 

 existence of consciousness is prior to all other facts. If I perceive 

 — am aware of — a chair, I may later be persuaded, by other 

 evidence, that the appearance was produced only by a trick of 

 lighting ; I may be persuaded that it occurred in a dream, or 

 even that it was an hallucination ; but there is no evidence in 

 existence that could persuade me that my awareness itself was 

 mistaken— that I had not really been aware at all. This know- 

 ledge of personal awareness, therefore, is prior to all other forms 

 of knowledge. 



If consciousness is the most fundamental fact of all, why is it 

 not used in this book ? The answer, in my opinion, is that 

 Science deals, and can deal, only with what one man can demonstrate 

 to another. Vivid though consciousness may be to its possessor, 

 there is as yet no method known by which he can demonstrate his 

 experience to another. And until such a method, or its equivalent, 

 is found, the facts of consciousness cannot be used in scientific 

 method. 



The problem 



1/12. It is now time to state the problem. Later, when more 

 exact concepts have been developed, it will be possible to state the 

 problem more precisely (S. 8/1). 



It will be convenient, throughout the discussion, to have some 

 well-known, practical problem to act as type-problem, so that 

 general statements can always be referred to it. I select the 

 following. When a kitten first approaches a fire its reactions are 

 unpredictable and usually inappropriate. Later, however, when 

 adult, its reactions are different. It approaches the fire and seats 

 itself at that place where the heat is moderate. If the fire burns 

 low, it moves nearer. If a hot coal falls out, it jumps away. 

 I might have taken as type-problem some experiment published 

 by a psychological laboratory, but the present example has 

 several advantages. It is well known ; it is representative of a 

 wide class of important phenomena ; and it is not likely to be 

 called in question by the discovery of some small technical flaw. 



With this as specific example, we may state the problem 



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