322 ON LIFE AND ORGANISATION. 



Such, is the process by which man is enabled to acquire the use 

 of his organs of vision. He arrives at it by an intellectual process ; 

 that is, by a process which could only be carried on under the con- 

 ditions of a self-consciousness. 



The brute is enabled to use its eyes at once. If, therefore, it 

 possesses any form of self-consciousness, this faculty is not called 

 into play in relation to vision. 



But so, in like manner, self-consciousness may be eliminated 

 from other departments of its physical manifestation. Now, as a 

 most remarkable economy in the use of means for the most numer- 

 ous and varied ends is exhibited in every department of God's 

 works, it appears to be opposed to this principle of economy, that 

 the brute should possess a self-conscious intelligence, and yet be 

 indebted for the use of its faculties to some power beyond that 

 consciousness. 



It appears to me, therefore, that we are of necessity led to the 

 conclusion, even when uninfluenced by other considerations, that 

 the brute is conscious of external objects only, while man cannot 

 detach his consciousness of external objects from his consciousness 

 of self. The brute is merely conscious — man is self-conscious. 



Note VIII. p. 297. 



" MORE IMPORTANT SUBJECTS DISCUSSED." 



It is right to state that it was the author's intention to have 

 very materially extended these notes in their Metaphysical and 

 Psychological aspects, with the view of publishing the lecture with 

 annotations, but he was led aside by other work. — Eds. 



