CHAPTER VII 



MIND IS FUNCTION 



Continued 



BERGSON asserts that the intelligence of man 

 is different in kind from the instinct of the 

 animal, but the difference seems to be one 

 of quantity and quality only, man having 

 more choices of method, because of his more complex 

 nerve structure. The same method practically is 

 adopted by both man and animal, under the same neces- 

 sity, and this proves the homology of structure and 

 function. That is, they have the same psychical device 

 for accomplishing their necessities, the man's being 

 greater in power and complexity only. 



"It will be observed that Hume appears to contrast 

 the 'inference of the animal' with the 'process of argu- 

 ment, or reasoning in man.' But it would be a com- 

 plete misapprehension of his intention, if we were to 

 suppose that he thereby means to imply that there is 

 any real difference between the two processes. The 

 'inference of the animal' is a potential belief of expec- 

 tation ; the process of argument, or reasoning, in man 

 is based upon potential beliefs of expectations, which 

 are found in the man, exactly in the same way, as in 

 the animal. But in man endowed with speech, the 

 mental state, which constitutes the potential belief, is 

 represented by a verbal proposition, and thus becomes 

 what all the world recognizes as a belief." (Huxley.) 



Bergson compares consciousness to a sharp knife. 

 "The brain is the sharp edge by which consciousness 

 cuts into the compact tissue of events, -but the brain is 

 no more coextensive with consciousness, than the edge 



177 



