SELF 207 



He, who is not able to conceive the thinking without 

 a body, or that any part of the organism could exist 

 without a material abiding place, such as the earth, will 

 most likely adopt the theory of evolution; and as a 

 starting point for the pursuit of truth, will begin with 

 the nebula. As far as he can reason, from the present 

 natural phenomena apparent to his senses, he can infer 

 that the present state of physics and psychics has evolved 

 from that primitive condition of all matter and motion. 

 This method of philosophy includes the "I" of Des- 

 cartes, as a passing condition, and one of the phenomena 

 of that development. This phenomenon is the product 

 of a conserved energy, in the form of indestructible 

 matter. Therefore its elements are infinite and perpet- 

 ual. When its present evanescent form is changed, 

 these elements will assume another form, equally short 

 lived. 



No THOUGHT WITHOUT BRAIN AND ENVIRONMENT. 

 The philosophy of this age teaches, that this process 

 of perpetual change will continue through infinity. 

 But Descartes assumed that the form itself is what 

 abides, without even stating of what it is composed. 

 He did not treat the thinking process as a fleeting 

 condition, but as an entity infinite in duration. Had 

 he studied the close connection between brain and 

 thought he would have seen that thought was produced 

 by material objective things in the environment, acting 

 upon a material objective thing the brain, and thus 

 would have arrived at the conclusion that thinking 

 could not take place without a material world. ' ' Think- 

 ing is a physical process, and it cannot exist, or produce 

 anything without materials, any more than any other 

 process of labor. My thought requires some material 

 which can be thought of. This material is furnished 



