THE BIRTH OF THE SPIRIT 63 



the facts. The ground for assuming this poten- 

 tial beginning is admittedly a priori. We can not 

 observe in the child any more evidences of spirit 

 than we can in the kitten; but we believe it be- 

 longs to the genus homo, and if not an idiot, has 

 powers which will unfold into spirit-action after 

 awhile, and respond to environment as the kitten 

 never will. 



Of one thing, however, there can hardly be a 

 dispute: at birth the human spirit, if existent at 

 all, has not come to its manifestation. So our in- 

 quiry may take the form: when does it come to 

 manifestation, so as to be clothed with moral 

 freedom and human responsibility? For myself 

 there are no more rational difficulties in assuming 

 that the spirit is coming to its birth than there are 

 in assuming that it is coming to its manifestation 

 and responsibility. But our purpose is equally 

 served with the question in either form. 



A child may profitably be contemplated as 

 two selves: his realized self; what he can do. 

 This depends upon his past ; what he has learned 

 to do. Second, his potential self; what he can 

 learn to do and may become. This latter depends 

 upon the contribution of others. His potential 

 self is not yet born or actualized. If at birth 

 thrown upon his own resources, what he can do 

 is quite insignificant. He will never be able to 

 talk, and without speech his thought will always 

 be infantile and meager. One writer has said that 

 he can never be a person unless he mingles with 



