282 THE SCIENCE OF LIFE. 



nizes the outer world, which judges, which aspires. His 

 work will be very imperfect if he neglects this some- 

 thing of which the nature escapes us, but of which the 

 power is such, that through it man has not only van- 

 quished all animals, whatever their defenses, their size, 

 or their strength, but he has overcome, and made to 

 work as his servants, even the immutable forces of the 

 inanimate world." * 



3. We have seen that the lower animals partake of 

 living structures and organs, the same in essential char- 

 acter and objects as those of man. Careful observation 

 will show that they also possess many mental or psycho- 

 logical endowments, such as we find in the human type. 

 The differences of animated nature are differences of 

 degree rather than of essential nature. So far as we can 

 see, all animals have self-consciousness and volition, and 

 many exhibit unmistakable signs of reason. 



4. On page 283 is an outline plan of the psychical en- 

 dowments of man, with the objects constantly influenc- 

 ing him and the normal activities of his being. It be- 

 gins with the most general and elementary properties 

 of animal life, and rises to the highest special powers 

 of human nature. More than an outline cannot be at- 

 tempted, since an elaborate exposition would require a 

 large volume. 



5. It will be seen that we have given prominence to 

 consciousness in the plan referred to. This is because 

 it is an essential condition of every mental operation. 

 It is the knowledge which the mind has of its own 

 operations. 



* Quatrefage's " Natural History of Man." 



