But truth, right, and love are motives stronger than
death. And the will, dominated by these, gives the body to be
burned. The man of the future will have an iron will, because he
will keep these highest motives constantly before his mind.
In the preceding lectures we have traced the sequence of functions
and have found that brain and mind, not digestion and muscle, are
the goal of animal development. In this lecture we have attempted to
trace a corresponding series of functions in the realm of mind. We
have found, I think, that there has been an orderly and logical
development of perceptions, modes of action, and finally of motives
in the animal mind. Let us now briefly review this history and see
whether it throws any light on the path of man's future progress.
Most of the sensory cells of the animal minister at first to reflex
action, and there is thus little true perception. The stimuli which
have called forth the reflex action may result afterward in
consciousness; but until brain and muscle have reached a higher
grade, this could be of but slight benefit to the animal. Perception
and consciousness are exercised mainly in the recognition and
attainment of food. When the animal begins to show fear, we may
feel tolerably certain that it has been conscious of past experience
of danger and remembers these experiences.
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