The origin and nature of the emotions; miscellaneous papers . t new adaptations of the mechanism will beevolved to meet the new conditions. Is not this conception of mans activities infinitely morewonderful, and infinitely more comprehensible than is theconception that his activities may be accounted for by theexistence of an unknown, vmimaginable, and intangible forcecalled nnnd or soul? We have already shown how the nerve mechanism is sowell ada])ted to the innumeral:)]e stimuli of environment thatit can accurately transmit and distinguish between theinfinite variations of speed in the ether
The origin and nature of the emotions; miscellaneous papers . t new adaptations of the mechanism will beevolved to meet the new conditions. Is not this conception of mans activities infinitely morewonderful, and infinitely more comprehensible than is theconception that his activities may be accounted for by theexistence of an unknown, vmimaginable, and intangible forcecalled nnnd or soul? We have already shown how the nerve mechanism is sowell ada])ted to the innumeral:)]e stimuli of environment thatit can accurately transmit and distinguish between theinfinite variations of speed in the ether waves producinglight, and the air waves producing sound. Each rate ofvibration energizes only the mechanism which has beenattuned to it. \Yith mar^elous accuracy the light and soundwaves gain access to the nerve tissue and are finally inter-preted in terms of motor responses, each by the l)rain patternattuned to that particular speed and intensity. So stimuliand i-esultant actions multi])lied by the total numljer of the A MECHANISTIC VIEW OF PSYCHOLOGY 151. Fig. 47.—Venus \p—Diuinni miisfipiila (Liniuims).When an insect alights upon a leaf, the leaf closes upon it like a spring trapin a few seconds and digests the insect, taking, perhaps, a fortnight over ameal. Detail—lateral view of expanded leaf. 152 THE EMOTIONS motor }iatteiiis in the bi-aiii of man give us the sum total ofhis hfes activities- they constitute his hfe. As in evohitionary history the permanence of an adapta-tion of tii(^ l)(i(ly ]nechanism depends upon its value in thepreservation of the life of the individual and u])on its powerto increase th(^ Aalue of the individual to the race, so theimportance and truth of these p(jstulates and theories maywell ])(> judged on the same basis. The fundamental instincts of all living matter are self-preseivation and the ])ropagation of the species. The in-stinct foi- self-pi-eservation causes a jilant to turn awa> fromcold antl damaging winds toward t
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