COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



ent state, it follows that there must be a contin- 

 uous differentiation of states ; and again, since 

 intelligence cannot arise or continue unless par- 

 ticular states of consciousness are continually- 

 known as like certain previous states, it follows 

 that there must be a continuous integration of 

 states. Alike in the most rudimentary percep- 

 tion and in the most developed reasoning, the 

 essential process is the separation of the unlike 

 and the bringing together of the like. So that, 

 " under its most general aspect, all mental action 

 whatever is definable as the continuous differentia- 

 tion and integration of states of consciousness^' and 

 the kind of mental action is regarded as high 

 or low, according to the greater or less extent 

 to which the differentiation and integration are 

 carried. The phenomena of conscious intelli- 

 gence are thus seen to conform to the universal 

 law of evolution ; and we may further note that 

 this conclusion is entirely in harmony with the 

 definition of psychical life as the continuous ad- 

 justment of inner to outer relations. For clearly, 

 when an intelligence is developing in the midst 

 of a complex environment, the greater the num- 

 ber of subjective relations which are adjusted to 

 objective relations, the greater will be the extent 

 to which the differentiation and integration of 

 conscious states will be carried. 



Here we may seem to have arrived at a sat- 

 isfactory conclusion of our analysis. But the 

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