the foundations of personality-第13部分

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icult　to　know　what　is　〃natural〃　and　what　is　cultural。　In　the　widest　sense　everything　is　natural；　in　the　narrowest　very　few　things　are　natural。　Cooked　food；　clothing；　houses；　marriages；　education；　etc。；　are　not　found　in　a　state　of　nature；　any　more　than　clocks　and　plays　by　Ibsen　are。　Our　judgment　as　to　what　is　good　and　bad　is　mainly　instinctive　leaning　directed　or　smothered　by　education。

The　stimuli　that　thus　pour　in　upon　the　individual；　and　to　which　he　must　react；　must　find　an　organism　ready　to　respond　in　some　way　or　other。　A　sleeping　man　naturally　does　not　adjust　himself　to　danger；　nor　does　a　paralyzed　man　fly。　The　most　attractive　female　in　the　world　causes　no　response　in　the　very　young　male　child　and　perhaps　stirs　only　reminiscences　in　the　aged。　Food；　which　causes　the　saliva　to　flow　in　the　mouth　of　the　hungry；　may　disgust　the　full。　Throughout　life　there　are　factors　in　the　internal　life　of　the　organism　instantly　changing　one's　reaction　to　things　of　physical；　mental　and　moral　significance。　He　talks　loudest　of　restraint　and　control　who　has　no　desire；　and　in　satiation　even　the　sinner　sees　the　beauty　of　asceticism。　There　must　be　a　coincidence　of　stimulus；　readiness　and　opportunity　for　the　full；　successful　response　to　take　place。＇1＇　＇1＇　A　slang　epigram　puts　it　better：　The　time；　the　place；　and　the　girl。

The　simplest　response　to　any　stimulus　from　the　outer　world　is　the　reflex　act。　Theoretically　a　reflex　act　is　dependent　upon　the　interaction　of　a　sensory　surface；　a　sensory　nerve　cell；　a　motor　nerve　cell　and　a　muscle；　i。　e。；　a　receptive　apparatus　and　a　motor　apparatus　in　such　close　union　that　the　will　and　intelligence　play　no　part。　Thus　if　one　puts　his　finger　on　a　hot　stove　he　withdraws　it　immediately；　and　such　responses　are　present　even　in　the　decapitated　frog　and　human　for　a　short　time。　So　if　light　streams　in　on　the　wide…open　pupil　of　the　eye；　it　contracts；　grows　smaller；　without　any　effort　of　the　will；　and　in　fact　entirely　without　the　consciousness　of　the　individual。　Swallowing　is　a　series　of　reflexes　in　a　row；　so　that　food　in　the　back　part　of　the　mouth　sets　a　reflex　going　that　carries　it　beyond　the　epiglottis；　another　reflex　carries　it　to　the　esophagus　and　then　one　reflex　after　the　other　transports　the　food　the　rest　of　the　way。　Except　for　the　first　effort　of　swallowing；　the　rest　is　entirely　involuntary　and　even　unconscious。　Those　readers　who　are　interested　would　do　well　to　read　the　work　of　Pavlow　on　the　conditioned　reflex；　in　which　the　great　Russian　physiologist　builds　up　all　action　on　a　basis　of　a　modification　of　the　primitive　reflex　which　he　calls　the　〃conditioned　reflex。〃＇1＇　＇1＇　Pavlow　is　one　of　the　scientists　who　regard　all　mental　life　as　built　up　out　of　reflexes。　The　immediate　reflex　is　only　one　variety；　thought；　emotion；　etc。；　are　merely　reflexes　placed　end　to　end。　Pavlow　divides　action　into　two　trends；　one　due　to　an　unconditioned　reflex；　of　innate　structure；　and　the　other　a　modified　or　conditioned　reflex　which　arises　because　some　stimulus　has　become　associated　with　the　reflex　act。　Thus　saliva　dripping　from　a　dog's　mouth　at　the　smell　of　food　is　an　unconditioned　reflex；　if　a　bell　is　heard　at　the　same　time　the　food　is　smelled　then　in　the　course　of　time　the　saliva　flows　at　the　sound　of　the　bell　alone；a　conditioned　reflex。　A　very　complex　system　has　been　built　up　of　this　kind　of　facts；　which　I　have　criticized　elsewhere。

The　simple　reflex；　immediate　response　to　a　stimulus；　has　only　a　limited　field　in　human　life　or　adult　life。　Sherrington　points　out　in　his　notable　book；　〃The　Integrative　Action　of　the　Nervous　System；〃　that　there　is　a　play　of　the　entire　organism　on　each　responding　element；　and　there　is　also　a　competition　throughout　each　pathway　to　action。　Let　us　examine　this　a　little　closer。　A　man　is　hungry；　let　us　say；　i。　e。；　there　arise　from　his　gastro…intestinal　tract　and　from　the　tissues　stimuli　which　arouse　motor　mechanisms　to　action　and　the　man　seeks　food。　The　need　of　the　body　arouses　desire　in　the　form　of　an　organic　sensation　and　this　arouses　mechanisms　whose　function　is　to　satisfy　that　desire。　Let　us　assume　that　he　finds　something　that　looks　good　and　he　is　about　to　seize　it　when　an　odor；　called　disagreeable；　assails　his　nostrils　from　the　food；　which　stops　him。　Then　there　arises　a　competition　for　action　between　the　desire　for　food　and　the　visual　stimulus；　associated　memories；　etc。；　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　odor；　the　awakened　fear；　memories；　disgust；　etc。；　on　the　other　hand。　This　struggle　for　action；　for　use　of　the　mechanisms　of　action；　is　the　struggling　of　choosing；　one　of　the　fundamental　phenomena　of　life。　In　order　for　a　choice　to　become　manifest；　what　is　known　as　inhibition　must　come　into　play；　an　impulse　to　action　must　be　checked　in　order　that　an　opposing　action　can　be　effective。　The　movement　of　rejection　uses　muscles　that　oppose　the　movement　of　acquirement；　e。　g。；　one　uses　the　triceps　and　the　other　the　biceps；　muscles　situated　in　opposite　sides　of　the　upper　arm　and　having　antagonistic　action。　In　order　for　triceps　to　act；　biceps　must　be　inhibited　from　action；　and　in　that　inhibition　is　a　fundamental　function　of　the　organism。　In　every　function　of　the　body　there　are　opposing　groups　of　forces；　for　every　dilator　there　is　a　contractor；　for　every　accelerator　of　action　there　is　inhibition。　Nature　drives　by　two　reins；　and　one　is　a　checkrein。　This　function　of　inhibition；　then；　delays；　retards　or　prevents　an　action　and　is　in　one　sense　a　higher　function　than　the　response　to　stimulation。　Its　main　seat　is　the　cerebrum；　the　〃highest〃　nervous　tissue；　whereas　reflex　and　instinctive　actions　usually　are　in　the　vegetative　nervous　system；　the　spinal　cord；　the　bulbar　regions　and　the　mid…brain；　all　of　which　are　lower　centers。　Choice；　which　is　intimately　associated　with　inhibition；　is　par　excellence　a　cerebral　function　and　in　general　is　associated　with　intense　consciousness。　The　act　of　choosing　brings　to　the　circumstances　the　whole　past　history　of　the　individual；　it　marshals　his　resources　of　judgment；　intelligence；　will；　purposes　and　desires。　In　choice　lies　the　fate　of　the　personality；　for　it　is　basically　related　to　habit　formation。　Further；　in　the　dynamics　of　life　a　right；　proper　choice；　an　appropriate　choice；　opens　wide　the　door　of　opportunity；　whereas　an　unfortunate　choice　may　commit　one　to　the　mercies　of　wrecking　forces。　Education　should　aim　to　teach　proper　choosing　and　then　proper　action。　The　capacity　for　perceiving　and　responding　to　stimuli；　for　inhibiting　or　delaying　action　and　for　choosing；　are　of　cardinal　importance　in　our　study。　But　there　is　another　phase　of　life　and　character　without　which　everything　else　lacks　unity　and　is　unintelligible。　From　the　beginning　of　life　to　the　end　there　is　choice。　Who　and　what　chooses？　From　infancy　one　sees　the　war　of　purposes　and　desires　and　the　gradual　rise　of　one　purpose　or　set　of　purposes　into　dominance；in　short；　the　growth　of　unity；　the　growth　of　personality。　The　common　man　calls　this　unity　his　soul；　the　philosopher　speaks　of　the　ego　and　implies　some　such　thing　as　this　organizing　energy　of　character。　But　a　naturalistic　view　of　character　must　reject　such　a　metaphysical　entity；　for　one　sees　the　organizing　energy　increase　and　diminish　with　the　rest　of　character　through　health；　age；　environment；　etc。　Further；　there　is　at　work　in　all　living　things　a　similar　something　that　organizes　the　action　of　the　humblest　bit　of　protoplasm。　This　organizing　energy　of　character　will　be；　for　us；　that　something　inherent　in　all　life　which　tends　to　individualize　each　living　thing。　It　is　as　if　all　life　were　originally　of　one　piece　and　then；　spreading　itself　throughout　the　world；　it　tended　to　differentiate　and　develop　（according　to　the　Spencerian　formula）　into　genera；　species；　groups　and　individuals。　This　organizing　energy　works　up　the　experiences　of　the　individual　so　that　new　formulae　for　action　develop；　so　that　what　is　experienced　becomes　the　basis　of　future　reaction。　It　must　be　remembered　that　the　world　we　live　in　has　its　great　habits。　Night　follows　day　in　a　cycle　that　never　fails；　the　seasons　are　repeated　each　year；　and　there　is　a　periodicity　in　the　lives　of　plants　and　animals　that　is　manifested　in　growth；　nutrition；　mating　and　resting。　Things　happen　again　and　again；　though　in　slightly　altered　form；　and　our　desires；　satisfied　now；　soon　repeat　their　urge。　The　great　organic　needs　and　sensations　repeat　themselves　and　with　the　periodic　world　of　outer　experience　must　be　dealt　with　according　to　a　more　or　less　settled　policy。　It　is　the　organizing　energy　that　works　out　the　policy；　that　learns；　inhibits；　chooses　and　acts；and　it　is　the　essential　character…developing　principle。　For　like　our　bodily　organs　which　are　whipped　into　line　by　the　nervous　system；　our　impulses；　instincts；　and　reflexes＇1＇　have　their　own　policy　of　action　and　therefore　need；　for　the　good　of　the　entire　organism；　discipline　and　coordination。　It　may　sound　as　if　the　body　were　made　up　of　warring　entities　and　states　and　that　there　gradually　arose　a　centralized　good；　and　though　the　analogy　may　lead　to　error；　it　offers　a　convenient　method　of　thinking。　＇1＇　Roux；　the　great　French　biologist；　has　shown　that　each　tissue　and　each　cell　competes　with　the　other　tissues　and　the　other　cells。　The　organism；　though　it　reaches　a　practical　working　unity　as　viewed　by　consciousness；　is　nevertheless　no　entity；　it　is　a　collection；　an　aggregate　of　living　cells　which　are　organized　on　a　cooperation　basis　just　as　men　are；　but　maintain　individuality　and　competition　nevertheless。

Moreover；　the　organizing　energy　seems　often　to　be　at　work　when　consciousness　itself　is　at　rest；　as　in　sleep。　Often　enough　a　man　debates　and　debates　on　lines　of　conduct　and　wakes　up　with　his　problem　solved。　Or　he　works　hard　to　learn　and　goes　to　bed　discouraged；　because　the　matter　is　a　jumble；　and　wakes　up　in　the　morning　with　an　orderly　and　useful　arrangement　of　the　facts。　A　writer　seeks　to　find　the　proper　opening；and　gives　up　in　a　frenzy　of　despair。　He　is　perhaps　walking　or　driving　when　suddenly　he　lifts　his　head　as　one　does　who　is　listening　to　a　longed…for　voice；　and　in　himself　he　finds　the　phrases　that　he　longs　for。　Something　within　has　set　itself；　so　it　seems；　the　task　of　bringing　the　right　associations　into　consciousness。　What　we　call　quickness　of　mind；　energy　of　mind；　is　largely　this　function。　It　is　this　which　adapts　us　to