New-York tribune., 1902-07-21
THE STUDY OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

In an address delivered before the American
Association for the Advancement Of Science the
other day Professor Charles Sedgwck Minot, of
the Harvard Medical College. touched upon a
question concerning which mctaphysiclans have
never been able 10 agree Starting with the
proposition Il think. therefore am they CON
cede the existence OF mind and subjective sen
Saton but differ about the reality OF objective
phenomena. Professor Mlnot points out that
the objective cause differs In It's nature from
the subjective effect Ether waves which pro-
duce light not identical with the sensation
thus created. but the two are equally real
Concerning matter. he says thar we gain our
knowledge Of II only through force Hence he
hfstates 20 think Of matter as entirely iudepen-
dent OF itS associate However. since Profcs-
sor Minot unreservedy talks about the body
It's functions and the relation Of tho mind f., H.
he appears 20 be- pretty we'll convinced NJ tie
reality Of flesh md bones he can hardly te
regarded as a Christian Scientist
Professor Nin0t also believes I'M free viii
He does not discuss It's limitations IN man. nor
say how far down In the scale Of the animal croa-
tion it phys part His theory concerning the
function of Consciousness Is that II has .1abIcd
living beings q, adapt themselves 10 their en-
viroument Senses which performed this sor-
vice shielding from harm and promoting tho
acquisition of food. continued tD develop from
rudimentarv ~ highly organized conditions.
Thus. Consciousness changed tho course ~
events What arc known as instiIicts aro. rr-
rordiug 20 the retiring president If the Amari-
can association, habits that have grown out of
conscious acts Consciousness. then Is respon-
sible for both kinds 0f impulses. ami con cfors-
ness. whatever be its restrictions 1ccompIishog
purposes which are on the whole beneficial 10
the organism. But while the biologist ls con
tinUailv finding II associated with pro'opIasm.
Dr AIinot regards II rs more thau n mere frnc-
ton ~ that substance Nor viii he admit that
II ls only form ~ energy To couccdo either
point would 30 20 give up all belief in free viii
This hn IS not willing to do He rejects tho
autouaton theory of llfo All nf which is In
spring doctrine TO come from n Lending Amotl-
can scientist.
Incidentally DT MiuOt commends the psvchol-
ogsts who have begun 10 study the manif eta
tlons Of consciousness i'm man and the animps.
They have only made beginning he says. ord
need 70 carry their work much further Any
thing like real advance. i'm this department of
knowledge as with every other science Is to be
effected by greatly increasing the actual oh
servatiOns Of fact, and not generalizng pre-
maturey Although no specific suggestion Ia
made as 10 the lines of inquiry which ought TO
be pushed DIR. MinOt would probably not con
fine the investigation to the physical senses.
There has been great deal of testing of the
quicliness with which different persons and
hear, and Of the least interval between adjacent
pin pricks that can be detected All that sort
Of elementary experiment. no doubt has its
value. But tests which shall throw more light
on the aesthetic moral ard intellectual percep-
tions would not he amiss. Karl Groos's obscrva-
tons Of play in animals and men. for instance,
might be advantageously paralleled in other
realms of consciousness