New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-11


solution OF some of the problems which have most
perplexcd both Psychologists and psychologists.
That he does not accept the beaten tracks even
in regard TO questions of definition and termin
oloey is perhaps, inevitable, though it increases
70 some extent the labor of the reader. IL is
true that in adopting the terms conation' and
@conative, he has the authority and example
of Sir William Hamilton. but all who present new
views should be careful to avoid as much as pos.
sible the use of terms demanding constant reficc-
tion since such requirement is apt TO interfere
with the spread of the ideas sought TO be dis
seminated, and in the present case there is so
much weight and cogency in the views expressed
that their free transmission is specially to be de-
sired.
II would not be possible in reasonable space
10 give even an outline of work which traverses
the entire field of psychology and deals also with
the physiological aspect of that science, preliminary
10 entrance upon the complementary inquiries
which are indicated in the title. IL must suffice
TO say that the inquiry is conducted scientifically
but not from the materialist point of view
That. indeed. would be an impossible position for
Dr. Raue. since he holds that what is called
Matter and what is called Spirit are one. 1t
follows that he rejects the labels which distinguish
the two principal schools of the present day; but
this is not the most interesting important part
of his work Setting out with the proposition
that the inherent sentient faculties are primitive
soul forces endowed with conation, that Is, some
thing more than a tendency to meet and receive
the action of external stimuli, he traces the
psychic evolution from infancy to maturity with
lucidity. force and completeness calculated TO
produce vivid Impressions Dr.. Raue does not
admit that the human soul can be compared to
blank tablet Being living SOUL" he says.
" its primitive forces are tending to act and to
receive. In the presence of external stimuli.
primitive forces are not merely passiveE I'M
pressed. but they seize the external stimuli
actively, because they are 'conatve' in their
nature
1t is to be observed that DR.. Raue in employing
the phrase primitive forces" instead of the word
faculties" which the old schools of psychologists
have almost uniformly used, escapes a difficulty
and a disadvantage which Lotze clearly per-
ceived, though he could not see his way TO avoid
ing it. Forces are strictly scientific; faculties are
ambiguous, partly physical, partly metaphysical.
In the present work no other definition would
have been permissible than that which has been
employed, but the fact adds considerably to the
smooth flow and appearance of force OF the argu~
ment. The first three chapters treat of The
Intellectual Sphere of the Mind" The Sphere OF
Conation,7 q" The Emotional Sphere, or Sphere of
the Feelings" These must be read carefully by
all who wish to comprehend the substance and
scope of the inquiry, and the fourth chapter, on
Physiological Psychology, will be found even stlll
more necessary. Here too, the author enters upon
some of his best work, as TO partcularlze, In the
discussion of the results of mcroscopcal and p'y-
Geological investigations upon living and dead
matter OF course, the argument has been used
before, but it is a kind of argument which loses
nv
put more effectively than in the present volume.
The consideration of BiOplasm, moreover,
casts light both before and behind,
as may be seen from the following
excerpt: 1T is an essential attribute OF
living matter (protoplasm) that it has tendency
to move that any part of this pulpy matter is
capable of extending itself beyond another part.
and of causing the rest TO follow. as if each part
willed to move and did So We are well acquainted
with this popularity as innate quality. also
of all psychical primitive forces. and we have
called them. for this reason. conative in their
nature. They strive toward and are rated upon
by external stimuli. and thereby become con-
verted, changed, or modified under certain con-
ditions. into perceptions concepts. desires. etc.
rs the case my be. just so the protoplasm moves
toward and receives pabuum.' This is full of
suggestion.
in action. and the objective side of life is what
DR.. Raue terms formed material" Thus he OBJ
serves "Soul and body consist. from the begin.
ning of primitive forces which, although unrecOg.
nizable by balance or chemical means are never.
theless. essential to any psychical or bodily de.
veopment They are mobile elements. conative
in their nature. and are converted by the action
of suitable external stimuli. either on the one
hand into mental notifications. on the other
hand into formed material Beale whom the
author quotes, considers all germnal matter liv
ing matter. and the formed material to
all intents and purposes dead Dr. Raue
does not altogether agree with this definition,
for he says: 1t is true when living matte.
is converted into formed material it loses the
power OF spontaneous movement and Of assimilat-
ing pabulum, and changing pabulum into matter
like itself: but, on the other hand it gains by
acquiring a definite form upon which il prints
indelibly its innermost nature and which
is quite essential TO the life of the individual"
We come, then, to the definition of soul as
associated with biopasm. DR.. Lionel Beale
whose astrological Investigations into the nervous
structure form the basis of this part of DR..
Raucs work, has reached the conclusion that the
so-called granules" in the gray matter Of thc
brain are the only parts of the nervous system
directly concerned in mental action These
granules he says, comprise within themselves
that directing agency of kind peculiar TO
the living world but thought and will are
truly vital mental actions while the expression
OF thought is but result of the influence OF
this vital mental action upon the mechanism
concerned in its expression
What, then, is that directing agency of
kind peculiar TO the living world" with which
all bioplasm is associated, and which, in the
granulcs' as highly endowed living matter, Is
directly concerned in mental action? Dr. Raue's
answer TO that is follows: " This agency,
which is associated with the protoplasm of the
human body, and which lies beyond any demon
stration Of chen.is or microscopy, consists of
the several primitive forces of the human soul;
or, as we might put it, the human soul consists