57 



genesis of these mental qualities which have always been con- 

 sidered characteristically human, is found to reside in the 

 mechanism by means of which an organism becomes better 

 adapted to its environment, and the qualities themselves are 

 but an advanced form of such adaptation. The development 

 is explained in the following way: "Among the earliest organ- 

 isms we find two principles: the power of discriminating be- 

 tween different kinds of stimuli, coupled with the power of 

 performing adaptive movements suited to the results of such 

 discrimination." 1 



This would seem to be a statement of conscious or purposive 

 selection, ^even "among the protoplasmic and unicellular 

 organisms", but it will be seen below that this "power of dis- 

 criminating" and the "power of performing adaptive move- 

 ments" are but "functions of highly wrought nervous struc- 

 tures." "These two powers or faculties we saw to occur in 

 germ even among the protoplasmic and unicellular organisms. 

 * * * From them upwards, all organization may be said to 

 consist in supplying the structures necessary to an ever- 

 increasing development of both these faculties, which always 

 advance, and must necessarily advance together. When their 

 elaboration has proceeded to a certain extent, they begin 

 gradually to become associated with feeling, and when they 

 are fully so associated the terms Choice and Purpose become 

 to them respectively appropriate. Continuing in their 

 upward course of evolution, they next become consciously 

 deliberative and eventually rational. But although when 

 viewed from the subjective or ejective side they thus appear, 

 during the upward course of their development, to become 

 transformed from one entity to another, such is not the case 

 when they are viewed from their objective side. For, when 

 viewed from their objective side, the most elaborate process 

 of reasoning, or the most comprehensive of judgments, is seen 

 to be nothing more than a case of exceedingly refined dis- 

 crimination, by highly-wrought nervous structures, between 

 stimuli of an enormously complex character; while the most 

 far-sighted of actions, adapted to meet the most remote con- 

 tingencies of stimulation, is nothing more than a neuro- 

 muscular adjustment to the circumstances presented by the 

 environment." 2 



The factors which have been instrumental in this gradual 

 development are, as in Herbert Spencer, those of pleasure and 

 pain. "On this topic, " Romanes states, " I have little to add 



'O.C. p. 62. 

 2 Ibid. 



