78 BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN PROBLEMS 



influenced by a nearly related objection; namely, 

 the denial of the freedom of the will, which is necessi- 

 tated by the materialistic doctrine of the origin of 

 consciousness. Huxley stated this doctrine concisely 

 when he said : "The feeling we call volition is not the 

 cause of a voluntary act, but the symbol of that 

 state of the brain which is the immediate cause of 

 that act." It is true that physiologists have no real 

 knowledge of the nature of the chemical and physical 

 processes that subserve the will, but this ignorance 

 should cause us no surprise when we consider the 

 subtlety and complexity of the cerebral processes 

 and the short time that has elapsed since it has been 

 possible to apply even crude scientific methods in 

 the cause of cerebral physiology. At present, how- 

 ever, the questions in dispute among psychologists 

 do not relate to the physical and chemical occurrences 

 in the cortex. There are few who do not admit that 

 such occurrences are in some way concerned with 

 consciousness, will, feeling, and thought. It is the 

 relation of the brain processes to these various 

 psychical phases that is in dispute. According to 

 some, the physical processes and the psychical phases 

 are simultaneous ; according to others, the psychical 

 phases may antecede the physical processes. I do 

 not contend that this question is one which can be 

 solved finally at the present time, for we have always 

 to reckon with the possibility that science will bring 

 forward fresh facts which will make it necessary to 

 view existing ones in a new light. But I maintain 



