!88o.] Correspondence. 533 
fore, it will be observed in the first instance, assumes a peculiar 
physical state of things to exist within the body of an animal 
which does not prevail elsewhere, or it supposes that the laws of 
Nature have not a general application, but that the animal world 
must be made an exception. This at the very outset evidently 
involves a very questionable admission. My purpose is simply 
to point out that by taking into account a special consideration 
based on the evidence of modern physiology as to the fundtions 
of the brain, such an assumption as the above is rendered entirely 
superfluous, and that even if it could be supported it would still 
miss the main objedt in view. 
Whatever room for speculation there may be as to the exadt 
nature of the mental faculties, it is at least very generally ad- 
mitted that these faculties are most intimately connected with or 
dependent on brain strudlure. Modern physiological research 
has at least placed this fadt beyond question, or it is. allowed 
that the mental faculties have at all events a physical side. 
From this it must follow, therefore, that what we call “identity,” 
charadter, or individuality (as involved in “ mind ”) must be de- 
pendent on the special struaure of the brain ; indeed this view 
is so widely prevalent that it becomes almost superfluous to 
insist upon it. Now it may be safely assumed that no upholder 
of Free Will would wish for more than that a person should a a 
in stria accordance with his identity or individuality, for the 
objea of Free Will certainly is not to annihilate individuality 
(or those personal traits which constitute charadter). But is not 
this precisely what would occur if this contention for a myste- 
rious power of defleaing particles within the body could be 
carried out ? for the effea of this contention would be to make 
the brain superfluous as a direaing mechanism, which would be 
tantamount to abolishing it (together with the individuality, of 
which it is the seat). For where would be the use of the elabo- 
rate mechanism of the brain for direaing the movements of the 
body if we are to have power of carrying out this same objedt 
by defleaing particles by “ volition ” (whatever that may mean) ? 
This would be to substitute for the brain, with which the identity 
is bound up, the empty nothing “ volition.” In that the brain 
direas the corporeal movements ; the. identity, or that which 
constitutes the very essence of individuality, thereby direas. 
What more would we have ? Attempt to supplant, the brain by 
the vague notion “ volition,” and the individuality ceases to 
exist ; or that very end is attained which those who support Fiee 
Will most wish to avoid. . 
From the very faa that the brain is known to exist, it therefore 
should be perfeaiy conceivable (if not even a priori a natural 
Energy, is so obvious that it will probably be regarded as superfluous to give 
references to particular authors. 
