ANIMISM. 13 



thought being only a maximum of the vital move- 

 ment, or life a minimum of thought. In truth, the 

 aims of the two schools are diametrically opposed ; 

 the one claims to raise corporeal activity to the 

 dignity of thinking activity, and to spiritualize the 

 vital fact ; the other lowers the former to the level of 

 the latter and materializes the psychic fact. But, 

 though the intentions are different, the result is 

 identical. Spiritualistic monism inclines towards 

 materialistic monism. One step more, and the soul, 

 confused with life, will be confused with physical 

 forces. 



On the other hand, twofold modality has this 

 advantage, that it escapes the objection drawn from 

 the existence of so many living beings to which a 

 thinking soul cannot be attributed ; an anencephalous 

 fcetus, the young of the higher animals, the lower 

 animals and plants, living without thought, or with a 

 minimum of real, conscious thought. The advocate 

 of animism replies that this physiological activity is 

 still a soul, but one which is barely aware of its 

 existence — a gleam of consciousness. In this theory, 

 the knowledge of self, the consciousness, is of all 

 degrees. On the other hand, in the eyes of the 

 vitalist, it is an absolute fact which allows of no 

 attenuation, of no middle course between the being 

 and the non-being. 



It is this conception of the continuity of the soul and 

 life, it is the affirmation of a possible lowering of the 

 complete consciousness down to a mere gleam of know- 

 ledge, and finally down to unconscious vital activity, 

 which saved animism from complete shipwreck. That 

 is why this ancient doctrine finds, even in the present 

 day, a few rare supporters. An able German scientist, 



