182 THE RIDDLE OF THE UNIVERSE. 



subject in my paper on " Cell-souls and Soul-cells." 

 I was led to a deeper study of this " elementary 

 psychology " by my protracted research into the uni- 

 cellular forms of life. Many of these tiny (generally 

 microscopic) protists show similar expressions of sensa- 

 tion and will, and similar instincts and movements, 

 to those of higher animals ; that is especially true 

 of the very sensitive and lively infusoria. In the rela- 

 tion of these sensitive cell-organisms to their environ- 

 ment, and in many other of their vital expressions (for 

 instance, in the wonderful architecture of the rhizopods, 

 the thalamophora, and the infusoria), we seemed to 

 have clear indications of conscious psychic action. 

 If, then, we accept the biological theory of conscious- 

 ness (No. IV.), and credit every psychic function with 

 a share of that faculty, we shall be compelled to 

 ascribe it to each independent protist-cell. In that case 

 its material basis would be either the entire proto- 

 plasm of the cell, or its nucleus, or a portion of it. 

 In the " psychade-theory " of Fritz Schultze the 

 elementary consciousness of the psychade would have 

 the same relation to the individual cells as personal 

 consciousness has to the multicellular organism of the 

 personality in the higher animals and man. It is im- 

 possible definitively to disprove this theory, which I 

 held at one time. Still, I now feel compelled to agree 

 with Max Verworn in his belief that none of the pro- 

 tists have a developed self-consciousness, but that their 

 sensations and movements are of an unconscious 

 character. 



YI. Atomistic theory of consciousness. — It is an 

 elementary property of all atoms. This atomistic hypo- 

 thesis goes farthest of all the different views as to 

 the extension of consciousness. It certainly escapes 



