276 PRESENT-DAY RATIONALISM 



Mr. Mallock in writing upon " the seemingly absolute 

 dependence of mental conditions on physical," alludes to 

 the deterioration or absence of the will in certain cerebral 

 diseases as a proof of such dependence. He says : " Since 

 the brain is shown to control the will in those very 

 domains of conduct in which freedom is most vehemently 

 claimeJ for it, to suppose that the will is a separate and 

 independent force which imposes its orders on the organ- 

 ism of which it shows itself so frequently to be the slave, 

 is to indulge in a supposition for which science not only 

 affords no evidence, but which all the evidence collected 

 by science contradicts "} 



It is an axiom now that all the mental phenomena, 

 whether ot man or animals and the physical basis of the 

 brain are intimately connected, and can mutually influ- 

 ence one another. Thus a tendency arising from some 

 abnormal cell-development can be suppressed by the 

 will, as that for drink, too often hereditary ; then the 

 abnormality after a time ceases to have the same power- 

 ful effect on the inclinations. Similarly, in a healthy 

 brain, study will affect the molecular structure of the 

 brain itself, the corresponding section was perhaps feebly 

 developed, physically ; but it will become strengthened 

 in response to mental efforts determined by the will. 



Hence, as to the question of the brain determining 

 the will under w^r;«rt/ conditions of health, the very fact 

 that Mr. Mallock has to appeal to diseased conditions 

 for his evidence — when a man is an idiot, mad or a con- 

 firmed drunkard, etc., and has no will at all ; but is 

 simply an automaton — is pretty conclusive that it is not 

 so under normal conditions of health. It is not the 

 " will " which becomes the " slave " ; for the man's will is 



^ Religion as a Credible Doctrine, pp. 141, 142. 



