CHAP. I. NATURE OP VOLITION. 5 



that " science knows of no aversions, and must hold on 

 its way through evil report and good report," even al- 

 though it forces upon us the strange and offensive con- 

 clusion, so derogatory to the dignity of MAN, that there 

 is a brotherhood of mind between him and the animal- 

 culae of a stagnant pool." Let us inquire, therefore, 

 calmly and dispassionately, whether science will really 

 bring us to this conclusion. 



(5.) In whatever way volition originates, so as to 

 act upon the corporeal structure, is immaterial to our 

 present purpose ; nor can this be determined, until 

 the properties of the brain and the nervous tissue are 

 thoroughly understood. In other words, it is totally 

 beyond the reach of finite beings. Are we, then, to 

 determine that volition, or will, is but of one sort ? and 

 is, in fact,* synonymous with MIND ? If so, we must 

 fail in with the above conclusion, and at once confess 

 that the greater or lesser development of MIND consti- 

 tutes, in reality, the only difference between man and 

 an animalcule. 



(6.) But a little reflection, and a more extensive 

 analysis of volition, will lead us to far different results. 

 Before, however, we proceed further in this inquiry, it 

 will be as well to explain, as shortly as possible, the 

 meaning we attach to the word VOLITION. This term 

 we consider synonymous with the WILL, to which the 

 corporeal structure is but an agent. The power of vo- 

 lition, which produces motion, belongs alone to the 

 animal kingdom, at least, so far as human research has 

 extended. For, although there are facts in the economy 

 of certain vegetables which seem to militate against this 

 supposition, (such as the closing of the leaflets of several 

 Mimosa, upon being touched, and other less familiar 

 examples,) yet we are disposed to attribute such de- 

 viations from the usual inertness of vegetables to ex- 

 ternal causes, acting upon the cellular tissue, or to the 

 adaptation of their structure to meet the contingencies 

 of adverse circumstances as to soil or situation. The 

 same, indeefl, may be said of many of the lower ani- 

 B 3 



