262 Habit and Instinct. 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE RELATION OF ORGANIC TO MENTAL EVOLUTION. 



Throughout our considerations of the phenomena of habit 

 and instinct, and of the relation of that which is congenital 

 to that which is acquired, we have had to deal with organic 

 activities which are associated with conscious states. It 

 has been assumed that organic evolution has carried with 

 it mental evolution. We have now to discuss the relation 

 of the one to the other. Problems of great difficulty 

 surround the subject, some of which must be resolutely- 

 ignored. We will not, for example, attempt to inquire 

 what is the nature of the association between the organic 

 processes in brain or ganglion and the conscious processes 

 which are their concomitants ; nor touch on the vexed 

 question of dualism and monism. That consciousness does 

 accompany brain action, and that, at some stage of organic 

 evolution, this consciousness does become an effective 

 factor in the developmental process, will be assumed. 



Tw o phases of or ganic development must be dis- 

 tinguished; first, that in whic h- consciousnes s is either 

 abs ent or inop erative ; and secondly, that^in which 

 finnRfiinnRnpRR is a. fin-opera-tinf* factor. The first may 

 be termelT"theinere ly organic phase; the s econ d, the 

 conscious-organic phase. The la tter may again be sub- 

 divided into two phases ; first, that in which mental 

 evolutionisj mbord inate to organic_evolution ; andsecondly, 

 that in which mental evolution is predominant. 



