ORIGIN OF CONSCIOUSNESS. 



different elements and in different proportions, to make up 

 the complex result. 



It would be unreasonable to maintain that mind was the 

 sum of the action of all the different tissues that could be 

 demonstrated in the brain, because we know that many of 

 these act without having anything whatever to do with the 

 manifestation of phenomena properly designated mental, 

 unless indeed the interpretation of the word is so extended 

 as to make it include phenomena which occur in the limbs 

 and other parts of the body, as well as in the brain, in the 

 lower animals, and even in plants, as well as in man. But 

 in this case we should gain little, because a similar difficulty 

 would confront us, though it might have to be expressed in 

 different terms. We should then have to draw a distinction 

 between mind as a product of the action of man's brain and 

 that form of mind which, according to the view we adopted, 

 resulted from the action of tissues having a structure, com- 

 position, and arrangement different from the tissue peculiar 

 to man's brain. Though indeed many writers seem disposed 

 to argue in favour of a very wide distribution of mind- 

 producing matter, I think confusion, instead of a clear view 

 of the nature of the human mind, has resulted from their 

 efforts. 



Now, Bain speaks of a state of consciousness having its 

 origin in the muscular tissue, but surely such a view can bt 

 entertained only in a sense as vague as would be that in 

 which the expression of opinion that our consciousness had 

 its origin in matter outside, and unconnected with the body 

 might be received. If it is maintained that " organic feel- 

 ing " is connected with a tissue, it ought to be explained 

 whether this form of feeling is to be looked upon as one of 



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