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It is going on always, and all he can do is to direct this muscular force, so as 
by it to attain certain ends ; and except he thus directs it, of course those 
ends are not attained. (Hear, hear.) It is important that we should know 
exactly how it is that mind is essential, whether as the directing or the 
efficient cause. Professor Kirk seems to think as the efficient cause ; but it 
seems to me only as the directing cause. In the same wav, for instance, if I 
want to light the gas. You may say it is my putting the match to the 
burner and turning on the gas which causes the flame ; but, no, I may do 
that as often as I please and effect nothing, if there is no gas in the pipe. 
The cause of the flame is the combustion of the gas. I simply direct and 
control when and how it shall take place ; but I am absolutely powerless to 
cause it except I have all the forces and materials at my command by which 
the effect is produced. Next, as to the question of motives— how far the 
motives which control the human will are themselves occasioned by the 
circumstances in which the man who wills is placed. Professor Kirk argues 
that they are not so occasioned, because it does not necessarily follow on any 
given circumstance that the same result shall follow. Now, of course, this 
theory cannot be expected to hold good in such a case except every one of the 
circumstances present on the first occasion are also present on the second ; 
and how seldom, if ever, can this be ! Again, it is to be remembered that 
a man’s action is the result, not of one motive acting alone, but of a whole 
series of motives variously counterbalancing each other. W e find the same 
thing takes place in the natural world. We know that many forces are 
acting at the same time on every object, and what occurs to that object is 
the result of all the forces together, and not of any one in particular. 
Professor Kirk says : — 
“ The same assemblage of conditions which are in one instance followed by 
one volition are in other cases followed by its opposite.’’ 
I doubt whether he could bring us a case of the same assemblage of con- 
ditions. I should think it was almost impossible to take two men, or even 
the same man, on two occasions, and expose them to exactly the same 
influences and conditions, so as to see if the result would be the same. Next, 
I notice that, further on in the paper, Professor Kirk alters his tone as to the 
will being an efficient force, and grants that the will is limited, and requires 
certain powers at its disposal to effect its purposes. He says : — 
“ To be a Creator of worlds implies powers by which the will may be 
carried out into this result.” 
And again, on the next page 
“ It is no drawback to this argument to say that matter resists and often 
overwhelms man, because that proves only that man’s power to move and 
change matter is limited.” 
Then, a few words as to the variableness which he insists upon in the 
organic world, and which, he holds, puts the organic world on a different 
