276 Habit and Instinct. 



which. But with the advent of effective consciousness 

 there is developed in association with the organism a 

 special organ, dependent on, but exercising control over, 

 the rest, by which it is enabled to profit by experience. 

 The happenings of the surrounding world are here symbol- 

 ized, the symbols are linked by association, and the special 

 organ exercises a guiding influence on the actions and 

 activities of the animal, restraining or stimulating, in 

 accordance with that conscious symbolism which we call 

 experience. The better the conscious symbolism, the 

 better will be the adjustment to the conditions of life. 

 And the more effectually the organ, associated with this 

 symbolism, is in touch with the executive machinery of 

 the body, the more effectually will the animal profit by 

 its controlling administration. For practical purposes it 

 is developed ; and by the test of practical success in the 

 business of life it must stand or fall. Consciousness is no 

 longer merely a passenger in the ship of life. We may 

 rather liken it to the captain of a modern ironclad, who, 

 seated in the conning tower, directs all the movements 

 and all the actions of the ship under his command. He 

 alone is in possession of the requisite data for working the 

 vessel; he alone can control her every movement, make 

 her guns speak and disengage her torpedoes ; how she 

 goes into and comes out of action is in his hands. As 

 captain, he exists for his command; his experience has 

 been developed for this end; by his efficiency he stands 

 or falls, and so bound up is he in the life of his ship 

 that together they succeed or fail. So is the conscious 

 symbolism of the higher brain-centres bound up with the 

 life of the body in such intimate association that together 

 they succeed or fail. Thus we may regard the matter 

 from the point of view of organic evolution under the 

 guidance of consciousness. 



