Uniform Standard for Comparative Animal Psychology. 145 



which was called forth by his essay. Hence a brief 

 notice of it is sufficient for our present argument. 



The fundamental principle in Bethe's psychological 

 essay is that all activities of animals, which have "not 

 been learned,' are mere reflex actions, and that it is un- 

 lawful to speak of psychic qualities, unless the animal 

 be able to modify its inherited activities by individual 

 experience. 1 This arbitrary principle changes all ac- 

 tivities hitherto regarded as instinctive in the strict 

 sense of the term into reflex action, and eliminates 

 from the sphere of psychic functions the sensi- 

 tive feelings and cognitions which guide them. 

 Bethe tries to justify his novel procedure by 

 stating that these psychic qualities fulfil their pur- 

 pose only when they enable the animal to modify its 

 activity by individual experience. But is not the first 

 and primary end of sensitive feeling and perception 

 the immediate and present welfare of the animal by 

 enabling it to seek suitable, and avoid injurious 

 objects, the former of which they represent as agreeable 

 and the latter as unpleasant, while they simultaneously 

 guide the performance of the respective activity in a 

 suitable manner ? It is only as a secondary purpose that 

 they are the means of gathering experimental knowl- 



l ) The same fundamental principle is maintained by Dr. Jacques 

 Loeb, professor at the University of Chicago, in his book "Einleitung 

 in die vergleichende Gehirnphysiologie und vergleichende Psychologic, 

 mit besonderer Beruecksichtigung der wirbellosen Thiere" (Leipzig, 

 1899). The refutation of Bethe's views contains a refutation of Loeb. 

 Loeb's mechanical explanation of instinct has been critically examined 

 in the following essays: "Einige Bemerkungen zur vergleichenden 

 psychologic und Sinnesphysiologie" ("Biolog. Centralblatt, 1900, n. 10, 

 pp. 341-348), and "Zur mechanischen Instincttheorie" ("Stimmen aus 

 Maria-Laach," Freiburg i. B. 1901, Heft, 1 und 2). 



