IMPULSIVE AND DIRECTIVE INSTINCTS 67 



hexagonal nurseries. The general, indefinite, 

 character of impulsive instincts renders them 

 ineffective unless they receive guidance in detail : 

 they are aroused by memories as well as by 

 sensory impressions : they present themselves 

 in assortments : there arises accordingly, a period 

 of hesitation ending in a choice. Directive 

 instincts, on the other hand, act simply and 

 inevitably. Their influence is hardly apparent 

 in man, but it increases as we descend the animal 

 kingdom, until, amongst the lowest organisms, 

 it becomes nearly all-embracing. But in no living 

 organism does its dominion appear to become 

 quite absolute : we may notice signs of hesitation 

 amongst the humblest of microscopic creatures. 

 Instincts, whether impulsive or directive, are 

 inborn, and are part and parcel of an organism's 

 being. A living creature may, indeed, be defined 

 as a bundle of innate impulses with machinery 

 for putting them into action. This definition, it 

 may be objected, ignores the influence of reason. 

 But reason, as we shall see, is itself developed 

 from an instinct. Obscured though it be by many 

 anomalies, we may discern a tendency towards 

 uniformity in the impulsive instincts of all living 

 organisms, and in the directive instincts of each 

 great class of the animal and vegetable kingdom. 

 This illustrates the solidarity of Life the fact 

 that all living creatures are, in a degree, blood 

 relations. 



We have seen that impulses are most commonly 

 set free by sensory impressions or recollections. A 

 newly hatched chicken is stimulated to drink by 

 the touch of water. Acquisitiveness is excited 

 by the sight of money. The sound of music 

 arouses, in many people, a desire to dance, or to 



