Translation from Von Hartmann 131 



with thousand-fold diversity of opinion ; let him reflect 

 how often something has to be undone, destroyed, and 

 done over again ; how at one time too many hands come 

 forward, and at another too few ; what running to and 

 fro there is before each has found his right place ; how 

 often too many, and again too few, present themselves 

 for a rehef gang ; and how we find all this in the con- 

 certed works of men, who stand so far higher than bees in 

 the scale of organisation. We see nothing of the kind 

 among bees. A survey of their operations leaves rather 

 the impression upon us as though an invisible master- 

 builder had prearranged a scheme of action for the entire 

 community, and had impressed it upon each individual 

 member, as though each class of workers had learnt their 

 appointed work by heart, knew their places and the 

 numbers in which they should relieve each other, and 

 were informed instantaneously by a secret signal of the 

 moment when their action was wanted. This, however, 

 is exactly the manner in which an instinct works ; and 

 as the intention of the entire community is instinctively 

 present in the unconscious clairvoyance^ of each indi- 

 vidual bee, so the possession of this common instinct 

 impels each one of them to the discharge of her special 

 duties when the right moment has arrived. It is only 

 thus that the wonderful tranquillity and order which we 

 observe could be attained. What we are to think concern- 

 ing this common instinct must be reserved for explanation 

 later on, but the possibility of its existence is already 

 evident, inasmuch^ as each individual has an unconscious 

 insight concerning the plan proposed to itself by the 

 community, and also concerning the means immediately 



1 " Und wie durch Instinct der Plan des ganzen Stocks in un- 

 bewusstem Hellsehen jeder einzelnen Biene einwohnt." — Philosophy 

 of the Unconscious, 3d ed., p. 99. eq 



* " Indem jedes Individuum den Plan des Ganzen und Sammt- 

 liche gegenwartig zu ergreifende Mittel im unbewussten Hellsehen 

 hat, wovon aber nur das Eine, was ihm zu thun obliegt, in sein 

 Bewusstsein fallt." — Philosophy of the Unconscious, 3d ed., p. 99. 



