OUR PHYSICAL MOTIONS. 63 



to consist of a further power to control and direct the opera- 

 tions of matter. But this, after all, tells us nothing more 

 than we already know, though perhaps under a different 

 aspect, when we say that we will, and our members obey 

 our will. We ask for further satisfaction than this, and 

 the prominent question occurs : Is Consciousness the 

 force by which the will is carried out and reduced to 

 physical action ? Mankind have hitherto lived and died 

 under the passive assumption that it is ; but a little con- 

 sideration will render this assumption very doubtful at 

 least, if it do not conclusively show that it is not. 



It is true that the Consciousness can direct the physical 

 actions of our body, but it is not true that the body is 

 incapable of physical action after the Consciousness is 

 withdrawn. The living body moves its limbs as our 

 Consciousness directs, but the dead body may be also 

 made to move its limbs ; and all that is deficient in their 

 motions as compared with those of the living body is that 

 the Consciousness and its directing power are not there. 

 Electricity will make the dead move, but it cannot 

 replace the Consciousness or its directing power. Hence 

 the physical force or agency which carried the will into 

 effect may be replaced, but the Will itself cannot. The 

 physical force, therefore, is not the Will or Consciousness ; 

 neither, reciprocally, is the Consciousness or Will the 

 physical force. The Will cannot move a paralyzed limb, 

 but electricity properly applied can. The inference from 

 these facts is inevitable : The physical motions of our 

 bodies are accomplished by the agency of electricity, 

 under the direction of our will, so far as they are voluntary, 

 but independently of our will so far as they are involun- 

 tary. Now, without reference to the electric action of 

 dead bodies, there are voluntary and involuntary actions in 

 the bodies of the living, and they form two large and 

 comprehensive divisions of our physical system. The 



