20 WHAT IS SCIENCE? 



THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SENSE-PERCEPTIONS 



There are two such differences. In the first place, our 

 sensations'are much less under our control than are our 

 other thoughts ; in the second place, other people agree 

 with us in our sensations far more than they agree with 

 us in our other thoughts. That is, in brief, the answer 

 which I propose to give to the question ; it must now 

 be explained and expanded. 



The first distinction is that our sensations are less 

 under our control than our thoughts. They are not 

 wholly beyond our control ; for, if I close my eyes, I 

 can refuse to see, and if I do not put out my hand, I can 

 often refuse to feel. But if I do look at an object it is 

 wholly beyond my control whether I see that it is red 

 or see that it is blue ; and if I put my hand into the fire 

 I cannot help feeling that it is hot and not cold. On 

 the other hand, thoughts, other than sensations, are not 

 wholly under control ; I cannot always remember what 

 I want to, and I cannot always keep my attention on 

 my work ; even my will is sometimes not under control, 

 and I may feel that there is a conflict within me. But, 

 though in this matter our sensations and our other 

 thoughts may differ in degree rather than in kind, it will 

 probably be recognized that there is this difference, and 

 that it is part of the reason why we feel that our sensa- 

 tions are intimately connected with something external 

 and do not take their origin wholly within ourselves. 

 For what is not under my control is not really part of 

 me ; what I mean by " me " or " myself " is simply 

 what is under the control of my will ; my will is myself. 

 (Of course this is one of the statements which it is 

 impossible to express accurately in language which 

 assumes the position which is under discussion.) I 

 recognize this fact most clearly in those curious cases 

 when there is an internal conflict of will, and when " my " 



