210 THE LESSON OF EVOLUTION 



ences. Intuition, however, is rare and is denied 

 by some psychologists. 



By the power of imagination, also, we can stimu- 

 late any of the motives. By introspection, or examin- 

 ing our feelings on a subject, we can wish for a thing 

 or wish to avoid it ; and so we can throw the strength 

 of the will on one side or the other. Thus again we 

 form judgements of a still higher kind than the last, 

 judgements into which our own intrinsic wishes or 

 desires are taken into consideration. And thus we 

 get free-will, by which man has the power of acting 

 as he wishes, and does not move like an automaton. 

 This, however, is disputed by a large number of 

 scientific men, and I will discuss the subject more 

 fully in the next chapter. 



Now in mental evolution new ideas correspond to 

 variations in biological evolution. They are mental 

 variations ; and just as bodily variations are due to 

 two causes physiogenesis and psychogenesis so 

 also are mental variations. But physiogenesis, or 

 the reception of sensations from the outside, is the 

 most important cause of mental variation, and 

 special organs have been developed for the reception 

 of these outside stimuli. Psychogenesis is also 

 important, for without new combinations no pro- 

 gress could have been made. Indeed, the difference 

 between the rapidly progressive nations of the 

 Western world and the stagnation of the Eastern 

 nations is due to the want of variation in the latter. 

 No new ideas have come to them from studying the 

 infinite variety of nature. They have preferred to 

 turn their minds inwards, and to contemplate their 



