01-what is man-第13节

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by　habit；　thought　which　was　once　alive　and　awake；　but　it　become

unconsciouswalks　in　its　sleep；　so　to　speak。



Y。M。　　Illustrate　it。



O。M。　　Take　a　herd　of　cows；　feeding　in　a　pasture。　　Their

heads　are　all　turned　in　one　direction。　　They　do　that

instinctively；　they　gain　nothing　by　it；　they　have　no　reason　for

it；　they　don't　know　why　they　do　it。　　It　is　an　inherited　habit

which　was　originally　thoughtthat　is　to　say；　observation　of　an

exterior　fact；　and　a　valuable　inference　drawn　from　that

observation　and　confirmed　by　experience。　　The　original　wild　ox

noticed　that　with　the　wind　in　his　favor　he　could　smell　his　enemy

in　time　to　escape；　then　he　inferred　that　it　was　worth　while　to

keep　his　nose　to　the　wind。　　That　is　the　process　which　man　calls

reasoning。　　Man's　thought…machine　works　just　like　the　other

animals'；　but　it　is　a　better　one　and　more　Edisonian。　　Man；　in　the

ox's　place；　would　go　further；　reason　wider：　　he　would　face　part

of　the　herd　the　other　way　and　protect　both　front　and　rear。



Y。M。　　Did　you　stay　the　term　instinct　is　meaningless？



O。M。　　I　think　it　is　a　bastard　word。　　I　think　it　confuses　us；

for　as　a　rule　it　applies　itself　to　habits　and　impulses　which　had

a　far…off　origin　in　thought；　and　now　and　then　breaks　the　rule　and

applies　itself　to　habits　which　can　hardly　claim　a　thought…origin。



Y。M。　　Give　an　instance。



O。M。　　Well；　in　putting　on　trousers　a　man　always　inserts　the　same　old

leg　firstnever　the　other　one。　　There　is　no　advantage　in　that；

and　no　sense　in　it。　　All　men　do　it；　yet　no　man　thought　it　out

and　adopted　it　of　set　purpose；　I　imagine。　　But　it　is　a　habit　which

is　transmitted；　no　doubt；　and　will　continue　to　be　transmitted。



Y。M。　　Can　you　prove　that　the　habit　exists？



O。M。　　You　can　prove　it；　if　you　doubt。　　If　you　will　take　a

man　to　a　clothing…store　and　watch　him　try　on　a　dozen　pairs　of

trousers；　you　will　see。



Y。M。　　The　cow　illustration　is　not



O。M。　　Sufficient　to　show　that　a　dumb　animal's　mental　machine

is　just　the　same　as　a　man's　and　its　reasoning　processes　the　same？

I　will　illustrate　further。　　If　you　should　hand　Mr。　Edison　a　box

which　you　caused　to　fly　open　by　some　concealed　device　he　would

infer　a　spring；　and　would　hunt　for　it　and　find　it。　　Now　an　uncle

of　mine　had　an　old　horse　who　used　to　get　into　the　closed　lot

where　the　corn…crib　was　and　dishonestly　take　the　corn。　　I　got　the

punishment　myself；　as　it　was　supposed　that　I　had　heedlessly

failed　to　insert　the　wooden　pin　which　kept　the　gate　closed。

These　persistent　punishments　fatigued　me；　they　also　caused　me　to

infer　the　existence　of　a　culprit；　somewhere；　so　I　hid　myself　and

watched　the　gate。　　Presently　the　horse　came　and　pulled　the　pin

out　with　his　teeth　and　went　in。　　Nobody　taught　him　that；　he　had

observedthen　thought　it　out　for　himself。　　His　process　did　not

differ　from　Edison's；　he　put　this　and　that　together　and　drew　an

inferenceand　the　peg；　too；　but　I　made　him　sweat　for　it。



Y。M。　　It　has　something　of　the　seeming　of　thought　about　it。

Still　it　is　not　very　elaborate。　　Enlarge。



O。M。　　Suppose　Mr。　Edison　has　been　enjoying　some　one's

hospitalities。　　He　comes　again　by　and　by；　and　the　house　is

vacant。　　He　infers　that　his　host　has　moved。　　A　while　afterward；

in　another　town；　he　sees　the　man　enter　a　house；　he　infers　that

that　is　the　new　home；　and　follows　to　inquire。　　Here；　now；　is　the

experience　of　a　gull；　as　related　by　a　naturalist。　　The　scene　is　a

Scotch　fishing　village　where　the　gulls　were　kindly　treated。　　This

particular　gull　visited　a　cottage；　was　fed；　came　next　day　and　was

fed　again；　came　into　the　house；　next　time；　and　ate　with　the

family；　kept　on　doing　this　almost　daily；　thereafter。　　But；　once

the　gull　was　away　on　a　journey　for　a　few　days；　and　when　it

returned　the　house　was　vacant。　　Its　friends　had　removed　to　a

village　three　miles　distant。　　Several　months　later　it　saw　the

head　of　the　family　on　the　street　there；　followed　him　home；

entered　the　house　without　excuse　or　apology；　and　became　a　daily

guest　again。　　Gulls　do　not　rank　high　mentally；　but　this　one　had

memory　and　the　reasoning　faculty；　you　see；　and　applied　them

Edisonially。



Y。M。　　Yet　it　was　not　an　Edison　and　couldn't　be　developed　into　one。



O。M。　　Perhaps　not。　　Could　you？



Y。M。　　That　is　neither　here　nor　there。　　Go　on。



O。M。　　If　Edison　were　in　trouble　and　a　stranger　helped　him

out　of　it　and　next　day　he　got　into　the　same　difficulty　again；　he

would　infer　the　wise　thing　to　do　in　case　he　knew　the　stranger's

address。　　Here　is　a　case　of　a　bird　and　a　stranger　as　related　by　a

naturalist。　　An　Englishman　saw　a　bird　flying　around　about　his

dog's　head；　down　in　the　grounds；　and　uttering　cries　of　distress。

He　went　there　to　see　about　it。　　The　dog　had　a　young　bird　in　his

mouthunhurt。　　The　gentleman　rescued　it　and　put　it　on　a　bush　and

brought　the　dog　away。　　Early　the　next　morning　the　mother　bird

came　for　the　gentleman；　who　was　sitting　on　his　veranda；　and　by

its　maneuvers　persuaded　him　to　follow　it　to　a　distant　part　of　the

groundsflying　a　little　way　in　front　of　him　and　waiting　for　him

to　catch　up；　and　so　on；　and　keeping　to　the　winding　path；　too；

instead　of　flying　the　near　way　across　lots。　　The　distance　covered

was　four　hundred　yards。　　The　same　dog　was　the　culprit；　he　had　the

young　bird　again；　and　once　more　he　had　to　give　it　up。　　Now　the

mother　bird　had　reasoned　it　all　out：　　since　the　stranger　had

helped　her　once；　she　inferred　that　he　would　do　it　again；　she　knew

where　to　find　him；　and　she　went　upon　her　errand　with　confidence。

Her　mental　processes　were　what　Edison's　would　have　been。　　She　put

this　and　that　togetherand　that　is　all　that　thought　ISand　out

of　them　built　her　logical　arrangement　of　inferences。　　Edison

couldn't　have　done　it　any　better　himself。



Y。M。　　Do　you　believe　that　many　of　the　dumb　animals　can　think？



O。M。　　Yesthe　elephant；　the　monkey；　the　horse；　the　dog；　the

parrot；　the　macaw；　the　mocking…bird；　and　many　others。　　The

elephant　whose　mate　fell　into　a　pit；　and　who　dumped　dirt　and

rubbish　into　the　pit　till　bottom　was　raised　high　enough　to　enable

the　captive　to　step　out；　was　equipped　with　the　reasoning　quality。

I　conceive　that　all　animals　that　can　learn　things　through

teaching　and　drilling　have　to　know　how　to　observe；　and　put　this

and　that　together　and　draw　an　inferencethe　process　of　thinking。

Could　you　teach　an　idiot　of　manuals　of　arms；　and　to　advance；

retreat；　and　go　through　complex　field　maneuvers　at　the　word　of

command？



Y。M。　　Not　if　he　were　a　thorough　idiot。



O。M。　　Well；　canary…birds　can　learn　all　that；　dogs　and　elephants

learn　all　sorts　of　wonderful　things。　　They　must　surely　be　able

to　notice；　and　to　put　things　together；　and　say　to　themselves；

〃I　get　the　idea；　now：　　when　I　do　so　and　so；　as　per　order；

I　am　praised　and　fed；　when　I　do　differently　I　am　punished。〃

Fleas　can　be　taught　nearly　anything　that　a　Congressman　can。



Y。M。　　Granting；　then；　that　dumb　animals　are　able　to　think

upon　a　low　plane；　is　there　any　that　can　think　upon　a　high　one？

Is　there　one　that　is　well　up　toward　man？



O。M。　　Yes。　　As　a　thinker　and　planner　the　ant　is　the　equal　of

any　savage　race　of　men；　as　a　self…educated　specialist　in　several

arts　she　is　the　superior　of　any　savage　race　of　men；　and　in　one　or

two　high　mental　qualities　she　is　above　the　reach　of　any　man；

savage　or　civilized！



Y。M。　　Oh；　come！　you　are　abolishing　the　intellectual　frontier

which　separates　man　and　beast。



O。M。　　I　beg　your　pardon。　　One　cannot　abolish　what　does　not　exist。



Y。M。　　You　are　not　in　earnest；　I　hope。　　You　cannot　mean　to

seriously　say　there　is　no　such　frontier。



O。M。　　I　do　say　it　seriously。　The　instances　of　the　horse；　the

gull；　the　mother　bird；　and　the　elephant　show　that　those　creatures

put　their　this's　and　thats　together　just　as　Edison　would　have

done　it　and　drew　the　same　inferences　that　he　would　have　drawn。

Their　mental　machinery　was　just　like　his；　also　its　manner　of

working。　　Their　equipment　was　as　inferior　to　the　Strasburg　clock；

but　that　is　the　only　differencethere　is　no　frontier。



Y。M。　　It　looks　exasperatingly　true；　and　is　distinctly

offensive。　　It　elevates　the　dumb　beasts　toto



O。M。　　Let　us　drop　that　lying　phrase；　and　call　them　the

Unrevealed　Creatures；　so　far　as　we　can　know；　there　is　no　such

thing　as　a　dumb　beast。



Y。M。　　On　what　grounds　do　you　make　that　assertion？



O。M。　　On　quite　simple　ones。　　〃Dumb〃　beast　suggests　an　animal

that　has　no　thought…machinery；　no　understanding；　no　speech；　no

way　of　communicating　what　is　in　its　mind。　　We　know　that　a　hen　HAS

speech。　　We　cannot　understand　everything　she　says；　but　we　easily

learn　two　or　three　of　her　phrases。　　We　know　when　she　is　saying；

〃I　have　laid　an　egg〃；　we　know　when　she　is　saying　to　the　chicks；

〃Run　here；　dears；　I've　found　a　worm〃；　we　know　what　she　is　saying

when　she　voices　a　warning：　　〃Quick！　hurry！　gather　yourselves

under　mamma；　there's　a　hawk　coming！〃　　We　understand　the　cat　when

she　stretches　herself　out；　purring　w