the origin and nature of emotions-第22节

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The　fundamental　instincts　of　all　living　matter　are　self…preservation　and　the　propagation　of　the　species。　　The　instinct　for　self…preservation　causes　a　plant　to　turn　away　from　cold　and　damaging　winds　toward　the　life…giving　sun；　the　inert　mussel　to　withdraw　within　its　shell；　the　insect　to　take　flight；　the　animal　to　fight　or　to　flee；　and　man　to　procure　food　that　he　may　oppose　starvation；　to　shelter　himself　and　to　provide　clothes　that　he　may　avoid　the　dangers　of　excessive　cold　and　heat；　to　combat　death　from　disease　by　seeking　medical　aid；　to　avoid　destruction　by　man　or　brute　by　fight　or　by　flight。　The　instinct　to　propagate　the　species　leads　brute　man　by　crude　methods；　and　cultured　man　by　methods　more　refined；　to　put　out　of　his　way　sex　rivals　so　that　his　own　life　may　be　continued　through　offspring。　The　life　of　the　species　is　further　assured　by　the　protective　action　exercised　over　the　young　by　the　adults　of　the　species。　As　soon　as　the　youngest　offspring　is　able　successfully　to　carry　on　his　own　struggle　with　environment　there　is　no　longer　need　for　the　parent；　and　the　parent　enters　therefore　the　stage　of　disintegration。　The　average　length　of　life　in　any　species　is　the　sum　of　the　years　of　immaturity；　plus　the　years　of　female　fertility；　plus　the　adolescent　years　of　the　offspring。

The　stimuli　resulting　from　these　two　dominant　instincts　are　now　so　overpowering　as　compared　with　all　other　environmental　stimuli　that　the　mere　possession　of　adequate　knowledge　of　the　damaging　effects　of　certain　actions　as　compared　with　the　saving　effects　of　others　will　（other　things　being　equal）　lead　the　individual　to　choose　the　right；　the　self…　and　species…preservative　course　of　action；　instead　of　the　wrong；　the　self…　and　species…destructive　course　of　action。

The　dissemination　of　the　knowledge　of　the　far…reaching　deleterious　effects　of　protracted　emotional　strain；　of　overwork；　and　of　worry　will　automatically　raise　man's　threshold　to　the　damaging　activating　stimuli　causing　the　strong　emotions；　and　will　cause　him　to　avoid　dangerous　strains　of　every　kind。　The　individual　thus　protected　will　therefore　rise　to　a　plane　of　poise　and　efficiency　far　above　that　of　his　uncontrolled　fellows；　and　by　so　much　will　his　efficiency；　health；　and　happiness　be　augmented。

A　full　acceptance　of　this　theory　cannot　fail　to　produce　in　those　in　whose　charge　rests　the　welfare　of　the　young；　an　overwhelming　desire　to　surround　children　with　those　environmental　stimuli　only　which　will　tend　to　their　highest　ultimate　welfare。

Such　is　the　stimulating　force　of　tradition　that　many　who　have　been　educated　under　the　tenets　of　traditional　beliefs　will　oppose　these　hypotheseseven　violently；　it　may　be。　So　they　have　opposed　them；　so　they　opposed　Darwin；　so　they　have　opposed　all　new　and　apparently　revolutionary　doctrines。　Yet　these　persons　themselves　are　by　their　very　actions　proving　the　efficiency　of　the　vital　principles　which　we　have　enunciated。　What　is　the　whole　social　welfare　movement　but　a　recognition　on　the　part　of　municipalities；　educational　boards；　and　religious　organizations　of　the　fact　that　the　future　welfare　of　the　race　depends　upon　the　administration　to　the　young　of　forceful　uplifting　environmental　stimuli？

There　are　now；　as　there　were　in　Darwin's　day；　many　who　feel　that　man　is　degraded　from　his　high　estate　by　the　conception　that　he　is　not　a　reasoning；　willing　being；　the　result　of　a　special　creation。　But　one　may　wonder　indeed　what　conception　of　the　origin　of　man　can　be　more　wonderful　or　more　inspiring　than　the　belief　that　he　has　been　slowly　evolved　through　the　ages；　and　that　all　creatures　have　had　a　part　in　his　development；　that　each　form　of　life　has　contributed　and　is　contributing　still　to　his　present　welfare　and　to　his　future　advancement。


Recapitulation

Psychology；the　science　of　the　human　soul　and　its　relations；　under　the　mechanistic　theory　of　life；　must　receive　a　new　definition。　It　becomes　a　science　of　man's　activities　as　determined　by　the　environmental　stimuli　of　his　phylogeny　and　of　his　ontogeny。

On　this　basis　we　postulate　that　throughout　the　history　of　the　race　nothing　has　been　lost；　but　that　every　experience　of　the　race　and　of　the　individual　has　been　retained　for　the　guidance　of　the　individual　and　of　the　race；　that　for　the　accomplishment　of　this　end　there　has　been　evolved　through　the　ages　a　nerve　mechanism　of　such　infinite　delicacy　and　precision　that　in　some　unknown　manner　it　can　register　permanently　within　itself　every　impression　received　in　the　phylogenetic　and　ontogenetic　experience　of　the　individual；　that　each　of　these　nerve　mechanisms　or　brain　patterns　has　its　own　connection　with　the　external　world；　and　that　each　is　attuned　to　receive　impressions　of　but　one　kind；　as　in　the　apparatus　of　wireless　telegraphy　each　instrument　can　receive　and　interpret　waves　of　a　certain　rate　of　intensity　only；　that　thought；　will；　ego；　personality；　perception；　imagination；　reason；　emotion；　choice；　memory；　are　to　be　interpreted　in　terms　of　these　brain　patterns；　that　these　so…called　phenomena　of　human　life　depend　upon　the　stimuli　which　can　secure　the　final　common　path；　this　in　turn　having　been　determined　by　the　frequency　and　the　strength　of　the　environmental　stimuli　of　the　past　and　of　the　present。

Finally；　as　for　life's　origin　and　life's　ultimate　end；　we　are　content　to　say　that　they　are　unknown；　perhaps　unknowable。　We　know　only　that　living　matter；　like　lifeless　matter；　has　its　own　place　in　the　cosmic　processes；　that　the　gigantic　forces　which　operated　to　produce　a　world　upon　which　life　could　exist；　as　a　logical　sequence；　when　the　time　was　ripe；　evolved　life；　and　finally　that　these　cosmic　forces　are　still　active；　though　none　can　tell　what　worlds　and　what　races　may　be　the　result　of　their　coming　activities。




A　MECHANISTIC　THEORY　OF　DISEASE＇*＇


＇*＇　Oration　in　Surgery。　　Delivered　at　the　147th　Annual　Meeting　of　the　Medical　Society　of　New　Jersey；　at　Spring　Lake；　N。　J。；　June　11；　1913。

In　this　address　the　paragraphs　which　were　taken　from　the　preceding　paper；　〃A　Mechanistic　View　of　Psychology；〃　have　been　omitted；　those　portions　only　being　republished　in　which　the　premises　have　been　applied　in　a　discussion　of　certain　medical　problems　rather　than　of　psychological　problems。



The　human　body　is　an　elaborate　mechanism　equipped　first　for　such　conflict　with　environment　as　will　tend　to　the　preservation　of　the　individual；　and　second　for　the　propagation　of　the　species；　both　of　these　functions；　when　most　efficiently　carried　out；　tending　to　the　upbuilding　and　perfection　of　the　race。　From　the　date　of　Harvey's　discovery　of　the　circulation　of　the　blood；　to　the　present　day；　the　human　body　has　been　constantly　compared　to　a　machine；　but　the　time　for　analogy　and　comparison　is　past。　I　postulate　that　the　body　is　itself　a　mechanism　responding　in　every　part　to　the　adequate　stimuli　given　it　from　without　by　the　environment　of　the　present　and　from　within　by　the　environment　of　the　past；　the　memory　of　which　is　stored　in　the　central　battery　of　the　mechanism　the　brain。　　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*

If　the　full　history　of　the　species　and　of　the　individual　could　be　known　in　every　detail；　then　every　detail　of　that　individual's　conduct　in　health　and　disease　could　be　predicted。　Reaction　to　environment　is　the　basis　of　conduct；　of　moral　standards；　of　manners　and　conventions；　of　work　and　play；　of　love　and　hate；　of　protection　and　murder；　of　governing　and　being　governed；　in　fact；　of　all　the　reactions　between　human　beingsof　the　entire　web　of　life。　As　Sherrington　has　stated；　〃Environment　drives　the　brain；　the　brain　drives　the　various　organs　of　the　body；〃　and　here　we　believe　we　find　the　key　to　a　mechanistic　interpretation　of　all　body　processes。

On　this　basis　we　may　see　that　the　activities　of　life　depend　upon　the　ability　of　the　parts　of　the　body　mechanism　to　respond　adequately　to　adequate　stimulation。　　This　postulate　applies　not　only　to　stimuli　from　visible　forces；　but　to　those　received　by　the　invasion　of　the　micro…bodies　which　cause　pyogenic　or　non…pyogenic　infections。　In　the　case　of　dangerous　assaults　by　visible　or　invisible　enemies；　the　brain；　through　the　nerves　and　all　parts　of　the　motor　mechanism；　meets　the　attack　by　attempts　at　adaptation。　　Recovery；　invalidism；　and　death　depend　upon　the　degree　of　success　with　which　the　attacking　or　invading　enemies　are　met。　　Questions　regarding　disease　become；　therefore；　questions　in　adaptation；　and　it　is　possible　that；　when　studied　in　the　light　of　this　conception；　the　key　to　many　hitherto　unsolved　physical　problems　may　be　found。

Perhaps　no　more　convincing　proof　of　our　thesis　may　be　secured　than　by　a　study　of　that　ever…present　phenomenonpain。　　In　whatever　part　of　the　body　and　by　whatever　apparent　cause　pain　is　produced；　we　find　that　it　is　invariably　a　stimulation　to　motor　activity　whose　ultimate　object　is　protection。　　Thus　by　the　muscular　action　resulting　from　pain　we　are　protected　against　heat　and　cold；　against　too　powerful　light；　against　local　anemia　caused　by　prolonged　pressure　upon　any　portion　of　the　body。　　So；　too；　pain　of　greater　or　less　intensity　compels　the　required　emptying　of　the　pregnant　uterus　and　the　evacuation　of　the　intestine　and　the　urinary　bladder。

It　should　be　noted　that　in　every　instance　th