278 TRANSACTIONS OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
would leave out of the discussion those elementary states in the 
lowliest animals which, whether called sentiency or feeling, are, in 
their essential features, like unto the fundamental states in the 
human mind, out of which the higher forms of Consciousness are 
believed by many to arise. Indeed, our more modern systems of 
Psychology are to be widely distinguished from the same science 
as it was treated by the Scotch School, of which Hamilton and 
Keid may be regarded as the types. The Physiological aspects of 
mental life are more insisted on, and the full Consciousness of the 
elder school is, by the application of an analytic process, exhibited 
as being an evolution from states of feeling as elementary as those 
which are found in animals far below man in ordinal rank. I do 
not mean to say that the interpretation of Mind by the Associa- 
tionalist School is in all respects to be taken as adequate — far 
otherwise ; but as a matter of fact it does regard our highest forms 
of thought — intuitions, beliefs, and self-consciousness — as a growth 
out of prior and more simple elements. In fact, the generic term 
"feeling" is employed, for instance, by Mr. Spencer, to indicate 
that elementary state of bare sentiency which, by its integrations 
and differentiations, makes up the " Composition of Mind " much 
in the same way as the units of matter by their integrations and 
differentiations, in due course, evolve into the Material Cosmos. 
If then we would really get at the origin of Consciousness in the 
wider sense of the term, we shall have to ascertain, if possible, 
whence came that in organic beings generally which constitutes 
them not merely living but also sentient beings. The origin of 
Man as a Free Moral Ego is another question, though some would 
affirm that that, on principles of Evolution, is merged in this. 
In dealing with the question before us we must remember that, 
according to our modern Psychology and Physiology, the actual 
existence of feeling or sentiency in a living creature is conditioned 
by the presence in the organism of a nervous system, developed in 
a degree proportionate to the intensity and frequency of the 
feeling experienced. I know that among eminent Physiologists 
there are differences of judgment on this point. There is also a 
school of psychical enquirers who are making it a special study to 
trace out the earliest signs of psychical life, which, I suppose, would 
be the most elementary form of consciousness. Some make out 
that traces of such life in simplest form of Memory begin first 
with the echinoderms, while the primary instincts appear with the 
