202 ( 58 ) 



Great impressibility is an essential constituent of many 

 of the highest forms of genius, and the combination of 

 this quality with strong reflective intelligence, constitutes 

 the most complete and efficient type of mind -there- 

 fore the highest in the common sense. It is not, how- 

 ever, the highest or extremest in an evolutional 

 sense, it is not masculine, but hermaphrodite ; in other 

 words, its kinetic force exceeds its bathmic* It is there- 

 fore certain that a partial diminution of bathmic vigor 

 is an advantage to some kinds of intellect. 



The above observations have been confined to the 

 Indo-European race. It may be objected to the theory 

 that savagery means immaturity in the senses above 

 described, as dependent largely on "impressibility," 

 while savages in general display the least "impressi- 

 bility," as that word is generally understood. This 

 cannot be asserted of the Africans, who, so far as we 

 know them, possess this peculiarity in a high degree. 

 Moreover, it must be remembered that the state of in- 

 difference which precedes that of impressibility in the 

 individual may characterize many savages ; while their 

 varied peculiarities may be largely accounted for by 

 recollecting that many combinations of different species 

 of emotions and kinds of intelligence go to make up 

 the complete result in each case. 



(it.) Conclusions. Three types of religion may be 

 selected from the developmental conditions of man : 

 first, an absence of sensibility (early infancy) ; second, 

 an emotional stage more productive of faith than of 



* Bathmic force is analogous to the potential force of chemists, 

 but is no doubt entirely different in its nature. It is converted 

 into active energy or kinetic force only during the years of growth : 

 it is in large amount in acceleration, in small amount in retardation. 



