Psychic Integration 233 



acceptance, so far, by the anthropological zoologist. But in 

 the second place we must know whether or not it carries, a's 

 some critics believe it does, transcendental or supernatural- 

 istic implications. If this charge be true it is of course to 

 this extent unsanctionable from our standpoint. 



Wundt's most concise characterization of apperception 

 which I have found is, "The process by which any content 

 of consciousness is brought to clear comprehension we call 

 apperception." 



A content of consciousness is any definable experience we 

 may have. All consciousness whatever is consciousness of 

 something or other. This "something or other," no matter 

 what, nor whether regarded as a whole or in part, is a con- 

 tent of consciousness, according to my understanding. 



What is most distinctive about Wundt's characterization 

 may be regarded as centering around the word clear. When 

 a particular content gets itself into the lime-light of con- 

 sciousness when it becomes the center of attention the 

 process by which it does so is apperception. On the other 

 hand, the process by which* contents, though brought into 

 consciousness, come only into its outer zones or edges, and 

 do not monopolize attention, is perception. Though this 

 getting of a content into clearness in consciousness, this 

 monopolizing of attention, may take place passively or 

 actively so far as the mind as a whole is concerned, the ac- 

 tive way seems to be the more distinctive and important, at 

 least for mental life as a whole. 



It is apparently this positive activity of apperception, 

 directed toward making particular contents of conscious- 

 ness clear, which has brought criticism upon Wundt's con- 

 ception. "Wundt talks," says Pillsbury, "almost as if 

 there were a faculty or force of apperception, something 

 behind and superior to consciousness, which brings about 

 the change in clearness of the impressions. There is in 

 the brain a definite centre of apperception, and in conscious- 



