THE IDEAS AND SOUECES OF MYTH. 7 



subsequently take. This fact is not peculiar to any 

 individual, people, or race, but it is manifested as 

 an essential organism of the human character, which 

 is in all cases universal, permanent, and uniform. 



In order to give a clear explanation of my esti- 

 mate of the a priori idea, which also takes its place 

 as the factor of experimental and positive teaching, 

 I must observe that for those who belong to the 

 historical and evolutionary school, a priori, so far as 

 respects any organism, habit, and psychological con- 

 stitution in the whole animal kingdom, in which man 

 is also included, signifies whatever in them is fixed 

 and permanently organized ; whatever is perpetuated 

 by the indefinite repetition of habits, organs, and 

 functions, by means of the heredity of ages. The 

 whole history of organisms abounds with positive and 

 repeated proofs of this fact, which no one can doubt 

 who is not absolutely ignorant of elementary science. 

 Every day adds to the number of these proofs, de- 

 monstrating one of those truths which become the 

 common property of nations. 



A priori is therefore reduced by us to the modi- 

 fication of organs in their physical and psychical 

 constitution, as it has ultimately taken place in the 

 organism by the successive evolutions of forms which 

 have gradually become permanent, and are perpetu- 

 ated by embryogenic reproduction. This reproduc- 

 tion is in its turn the absolute condition of psychical 

 and organic facts, which are thus manifested as primi- 



