74 THE HUMANIZING OF THE BRUTE. 



Both are acts of the mind and as such they are in- 

 dividual, just as any other existing object or property. 

 But, in as far as their objective contents are concerned, 

 that is, in as far as they are representations of objects, 

 the common phantasm is and remains individual and 

 extended, while the universal idea is universal and 

 inextended, even though the object in its actual state 

 of existence possesses the quality of extension. For, 

 as long as we do not eliminate any and every vestige 

 of extension, the representation of the object is devoid 

 of the character of universality. True universality 

 absolutely demands that even the last trace of individual- 

 ity disappears. 



What, therefore, is our answer to the question : Is a 

 sensitive faculty able to form general notions? 



It must be negative. For as one of our best psych- 

 ologists puts the argument: "We are capable of ap- 

 prehending and representing to ourselves abstract and 

 universal ideas. But such operations could not be 

 states of a faculty exerted through, or intrinsically de- 

 pendent on, a bodily organ. A power of this kind 

 can only react in response to physical impressions, 

 and can only form representations of a concrete charac- 

 ter, depicting contingent individual facts. But, uni- 

 versality, possibility, logical sequence, general rela- 

 tions, do not constitute such a physical stimulus, and 

 consequently could not be apprehended by an organic 

 faculty. Consequently these higher mental functions 

 must be admitted to be of a spiritual character; they 

 thus transcend the sphere of all actions depending in- 

 trinsically or essentially by their nature on a natural 

 instrument." x ) 



x ) Maher, 1. c., p. 471. 



