General Sense Images and the Power of Abstraction. 89 



Then the image is even still less "general," because it 

 represents a very specified hare of such excellent quali- 

 ties as are scarcely possessed by any hare in reality. 

 What must we conclude from this fact? It follows, 

 that the imagination of man is never able to picture a 

 hare in general, but only a concrete and individual 

 animal of these or those qualities. This representation 

 is either nothing more than a vivid reproduction of 

 former sight perceptions, in which case the "general 

 sense image" is a concrete and individualized image of 

 the memory, or special features which have been taken 

 from former sense perceptions, are added to the original 

 representation by the combining and producing power 

 of the imagination, and result in a fascinating picture 

 of an idealized hare, in which case the "general sense 

 image" is again decidedly concrete and individual. 

 Therefore, a general sense image of a hare does not 

 exist, nor can it possibly exist. Whosoever takes the 

 trouble to reflect on this subject, and carefully examines 

 the representations (phantasms) which arise in his own 

 memory and fancy, will be forced to acknowledge it. 

 So much for the sense images of man. 



But of what nature is the "general sense image" in 

 the brain of the harrier? The elements of olfactory 

 perceptions are, without doubt, the chief constituents of 

 sense representations in canines, whilst general sense 

 images consist mainly of sight perceptions in man. 

 Consequently, the scent will take the first place in the 

 sensile memory of the dog; but its object will be indi- 

 vidualized, as is the case in our sense images, it will be 

 that of a definite hare, and not the scent of the hare in 

 "general." Now, when the dog sights another animal 



