New-York tribune., 1878-02-05


mental causality in tho world. But Nature, though
# acts artifcally and for the sake of ends
only "apes aud mimics the Divine Art and
WIsdon' and is not capable of consultation
or deliberation, or can 1t act electIvely and
with discretion that is, with conscIousnessl.
Fit should seem strange, says Cudworth that Ma
ture should act for the sake of erds and yet " be
devoid itself of knowledge and understanding"
there are instances of the same kind, Tor example
in habit IA striking anticipation OF HartmannI,
especially the musical ones OF singing, playing upon
instruments, and dancing. The fingers OF mus-
clan and the legs Of dancer are directed to move
in long series of orderly motions, by those artI-
fetal habits in them, which do not at all compre-
bend the laws and rules Of harmony by which they
are governed. The discussion of natural instincts
Of animals by CudwOrth goes over the
same ground as Hartmann, and if the latter had
read the work it would have furnished HIM with
many valuable suggestOns entirely in the line OF
his argument. The instincts of animals, he says
direct them to act regularly for their own good,
and the GOOD OF the universe, without comprehend
inc the reason of the same The bees in their hcxa-
eonal cells the spiders in their webs, the birds i'll
building their nests and many other animals In Ike
actions seem to show great saGacity. but these
things are done not by art, nor by counsel nor by
any deliberatlon of their own. Plastic Nature, Dr.
CudwOrth proceeds TO explain does not COM
pIeheud the reason of its own actions
SO neither is it CLEARLY and expressly con-
srIoI,s of what il DOTH Mature hath no appre-
tensions nor CONSCIOUS PERCEPTION of any thing
Itmay bc alleged says DR.. Cudworh, that there
can be no action distinct from local motion besides
expressly CONSCIOUS COGITATION; that the es-
sence of cogitaion consists in express conscious
ness; and bence the Plastic Nature which is sup
al .fttAI eeTl la
His reply to this objection is brief but would seem
to hit the nail Oh the head. Life self-actiyity,
he declares may be divided into that which acts
,rih express Consciousness, and that which acts
,riihout express consciousness; the latter of which
is the plastic life of Nature that there may be
vital energy which is not accompanied with con-
sciousncss in the energies Of the animal life; ana
hence tie question. whether the energy OF the
plastic nature be cogitatIve or no. seems to be
question about words for if clear and express con-
sciOusness he included in cogtation, then II must
be granted that coPitation does not belong to the
plastic life Of Nature but if the notion Of that word
be enlarged so as to comprehend all action distinct
from local motion. and to he of equal extent with
life then the energy of Nature unconscious pias-
tic Naturcl is coeitative. But, continues the
sturdy English divine, assuming cogltation to he
the essence of the SOUL and consciousness to be the
soul lin sleep. in ethargies. in apoplcxes and the
like is never without consciousness, for in that
case the soul must cease to have any beinE. Now,
if the soul Of men and animals be at any time with
out consciousness and self-perception, il must hc
granted that clear and express consciousness Is not
essential to life. 1t is certain that the son is not
always conscious Of what is in it, as in the case OF
the sleeping geOmetrclan, musician. etc.. and hence
it is possible that the sou should have an actual
energy III it Of which il is not conscious.
The declarations Of Leihnitz and Kant on the
subject of uncOnsciOusnoss are merely Of suggest
i've character without engaging in the discussion
of principles although they aroused the curiosity Of
Sir William Hamilton, stimulating him to further
research. hut with his usual habits Of fragnentary
and excursive thought, he left the nquiryin an mper
feet state and 70 have had provision OF the
magnitude il was TO assume. under the lead OF Hart
mann the German expounder of the Philosophy of
the Unconscious. Sir William Hamilton matured his
views of the doctrine far To affirm that what
we are conscious of is constructed ont of what we
arc not conscious Of: that our whole knowledge, in
fact is made up Of the unknown and the incogliza-
ble There are many things which we neither know,
nor can know in themselves, bat which manifest
their existence through the medium OF their effects
This is the case with the mental notifications IN
question they are not in themselves revealed to
consciousness but certain facts Of consciousness
necessarily suppose them to exist, and To exert an
influence the mental processes we are constrained
to admit as notifications Of Mind what are not phc-
nomena Of Consciousness. To LeibIitz be-
longs the honor of originating this opinion, and of
having supplied some of the strongest arguments in
its support. He was, however. unfortunate in the
terms which he employed to PROFOUND his doctrine
and it has been in consequence Of this
H..
has not been more generally adopted: and that in
France and in Britain succeeding philosophers have
admitted as an almost self-evidcnt truth, tha; there
can be no modification of mind derod Of consciousness
As to any population Of the Lcbntzian doctrine.
know of none"
We have referred to the coincidence between Cud-
worth and Hartmann. in their illustrations of The
doctrine Of unconscious thought; but perhaps
still more remarkable coincidence may be pointed
ont between Hartmann and the author OF this vol
ume in their descriptions Of the Unconscious Power
which pervades and animates the universe. Prcsi-
dent Bascom admits the intellectual characteristics
Of the unconscious cosmic forces. All mechanical
force he aiirms springs from inscruablo molecular
forces; and molecular forces known only III certain
definite results are the ultimate constituents OF the
world The atoms of any substance always express
certain forces or definite activities, and the mole
cues arising from these atoms in their various
binations in tn express new forces in reference to
other molecules. Hence atomic forces become the
seat and source Of all forces and Of ali mystery.
Atoms determine molecules, molecules settle prop
critics, define physical and chemical activities, and
the motion of masses. The law Of rational cosInic
order is visible in the action of these primitive
forces. Their phenomena may all be referred to
some portion of space. They ASSUME fixed forms
der fixed conditions as ultimate facts in the physical
world. Nothing is huddlcd or Jumped" They all
involve unphenomcnal energy which admits Of
no further explanation While relatively fixed in