296 ON LIFE AND ORGANISATION. 



tion. The psychical essence exists only potentially in the 

 embryo of the higher animals. It is suddenly and fully 

 evolved after its birth by the influence of the senses under 

 the peculiar conditions of the instinct. In man, again, it is 

 more slowly evolved by the influence of the senses, condi- 

 tioned by his peculiar spiritual self-consciousness. 



I have alluded to the la,tent or potential condition of the 

 psyche in the embryo of the higher animal and of man, for 

 the purpose of showing that there is nothing unphilosophical 

 in the admission of a psyche in the plant. We are quite en- 

 titled to state, as a legitimate hypothesis, that in every indi- 

 vidual plant there is an indwelling psyche ; more simply 

 endowed than that of the lowest animal ; specific for each 

 species of plant, and therefore incapable of further evolution, 

 never manifesting itself in psychical acts appreciable to us, 

 and performing only the lowest function of the animal psyche, 

 constituting the psychical form in the presence or midst of 

 which the organisation is co-ordinated. 



If, then, a psychical element be admitted to exist in every 

 living organism, we may reasonably inquire how far its pre- 

 sence has to do with the organising process. 



We know nothing of the mode in which mind acts on 

 matter, or in what manner matter reacts on mind. We know, 

 however, that both actions occur in the brain. A physical 

 current, the result of polar forces, passing along a nerve-fibre, 

 and reaching a group of connected nerve-cells, is immediately 

 followed by, or contemporaneously accompanied by, a psychi- 

 cal condition — that of sensation with perception. But, what 

 is more to our present purpose, we now know that another 

 psychical condition — a determination of the will — is accom- 

 panied by, or immediately followed by, a physical act in a 

 single nerve-cell, or in a group of nerve-cells, from which cell 

 or cells there immediately proceeds along a connected nerve- 

 fibre a physical current — the result of polar actions — which, 



