198 Direct affirmation of Consciousness. CHAP. 



electricity, and heat, may each of them be a cause of 

 either of the others, and may also be in turn their 

 effect. Action and reaction are equal and contrary ; 

 and from this it follows that cause and effect may 

 exchange places, and the direction of the action be 

 reversed. 



It may be said that this reasoning is irrelevant, 

 because motion, electricity, and heat all belong to the 

 same order of being, but Consciousness is altogether 

 unique. I reply that the fact of Consciousness being 

 sufficiently kindred with the physical forces to be 

 acted on by them, appears to be a reason for expecting 

 that it may be able to act on them in turn. But if 

 this presumption is rejected, then I reply that the 

 unique and unparalleled nature of Consciousness is 

 not a reason for thinking that it can be without effect, 

 as taught by the automatic theory, but rather for 

 expecting it to be accompanied by other wonderful 

 powers, like Will and Freedom. 



These, however, are but presumptions : and I go 

 on to show how the character of the Will as a Cause 

 becomes a direct affirmation of Consciousness. 



It is admitted that Consciousness tells nothing of 

 the causal agency whereby muscular action follows on 

 the determination of the Will to produce it. In the 

 act of writing, for instance, I am conscious of the 

 intention to write the words, and of the act of writing 

 the words ; but Consciousness tells nothing of the 

 causal link between these two, consisting in the 

 nervous current sent down from the brain to the 



