What is Intelligence, and What is Instinct? 87 



and appetite 1 which we call instinct, is furthermore 

 specifically appropriate, it differs in the different kinds 

 of animals. Whatever is naturally suitable for the 

 preservation of a peculiar species, and for the attain- 

 ment of its special purpose and destination, is made 

 pleasant to that species by its specific disposition of 

 faculties, and thus the irrational being can work out its 

 natural end merely by its sensile cognition and appe- 

 tite. Man, too, has an instinct; but he has more than 

 instinct, he has also intelligence and volition; these it is 

 that he must follow, if he wishes to attain his end and 

 to lead a life worthy of a human being, and disdains to 

 lower himself to the level of the brute. 



This hereditary disposition of sensile cognition and 

 appetite which is in reality the very root and source of 

 instinct can be considered from a psychic or a somatic 

 point of view. It is psychic in as far as it is founded in 

 the nature of the animal soul ; but it is somatic in as far 



*) We could advance several quotations from scholastic philoso- 

 phers of former ages to show that this view of instinct is not new. 

 (See p. 45, note 1.) George de Rhodes S. J. ("Philos. Peripatet." 

 1671 lib. 2, disp. 17, q. 6, sect. 6, p. 493) says: "Videtur ergo ilium 

 (instinctum) nee esse qualitatem ullam superadditam phantasiae bruti, 

 nee species a Deo indita sed esse ipsum sensum internum bruti, quate- 

 nus vim habet apprehendendi aliquid ut conveniens vel disconveniens, et 

 sic illud appetendi aut refugiendi." How the objectively convenient is 

 represented to the animal through its sense-cognition is explained by P. 

 Lossada S. J. ("Cursus Philos. Coll. Salmanticensi:," [1735] p. 3, disp. 

 5, c. 4, No. 128) in the following way: "Avis ergo, dum paleam colligit 

 reipsa utilem ad nidificandum, non cognoscit utilitatem ut talent, sed 

 aliquam insensatam rationem delectabilis apprehendit in motibus ipsis 

 aut actionibus colligendi, deferendi et collocandi apposite ad nidi fabri- 

 cam. Quod autem sic apprehendit pro tali tempore, provenit ab in- 

 stinctu seu determinatione naturae." In other words: It comes from 

 the natural disposition of its sensile cognition and appetite which we 

 call instinct that the objectively convenient is represented in a suitable 

 manner to the animal as subjectively pleasant. 



