Instinct and Intelligence According to Modern Zoology. 13 



position of the nervous system, from which those 

 combinations originate, is inherited. From the possi- 

 bility of hereditary transmission of this two-fold 

 disposition springs what we call "hereditary instinct." 

 Hence also innate instincts are due merely to a hereditary 

 poiver of association. This argument, however, renders 

 the difference between instinct and intelligence, which is 

 urged by modern psychology, untenable; for the latter 

 calls "instinct" the hereditary sensitive power of asso- 

 ciation, and "intelligence" the exercise of the same power 

 thrown into activity by the sense perceptions of the 

 animal. Let us substantiate this truth by an example. 

 A young chicken is frightened at the very first sight 

 of a wasp and is afraid to peck at it. Quite in keeping 

 with modern zoological theories, this abstention is doubt- 

 less due to instinct ; for, even without any painful 

 experience, the mere sight of the wasp excites the feeling 

 of fright by dint of a hereditary law of association. 

 Now, let us suppose that in its youthful impetuosity in 

 search of food, the chicken did not carefully examine 

 the inviting titbit and pounced on the wasp and had been 

 stung before it had time to form that instinctive 

 association. According to the psychology of modern 

 zoologists, this identical chicken is said to act from 

 intelligence, whenever it carefully abstains in future 

 from pecking at wasps. But is not this an evident abuse 

 of the word "intelligence"? The mere psychological 

 analysis of the process furnishes a definite answer to this 

 question. The very sight of a wasp immediately arouses, 

 according to the innate laws of association of represen- 

 tations not only the image of the first wasp, but also' 

 the imagination of the pain which the chicken felt in 



