2
T H E TORCH OF REASON, SIL V E R T O N , O REG O N , D E C E M B E R 20, E. M. 300 (1900.;
tion of the m am m al-brain which speech] extinguishes its function next three decades,
' )n every side we find beauty and
we call the seat [preferably the [speechj.
The slow gradual degeneration of excellence held in the balance of
organ] of consciousness is a p art of
In fact, there is proof enough in the higher m ental powers, w hich things. We know that work is
the cerebrum, an area in the late- the most fam iliar phenom ena of characterizes senility, usually sets needful, th a t winter is as necessary
developed gray bed, or c o rte x ,, consciousness of their com plete de- in a t the com m encem ent of thesev- as sum m er, th at rig h t is as useful
which is evolved out of the convex peudence ou chemical changes in ©nth decade— som etim es earlier, as day, th at death is a m anifesta-
dorsal portion of the prim ary cere- the substance of the brain. M ary som etim es later.
M emory, recep- tion of life, and just as good
We
bral vesicle, the ‘ fore-brain.’ Now beverages [such as coffee and tea] tiveness, and interest in p articu lar believe in the Now ai d H ere
We
the morphological proof of this stim ulate our powers of thought; objects g rad u ally decay; though believe in you, and we believe in
physiological thesis has been sue- others [such as wine and beer] in- productivity, m ature consciousness, Power th a t is in Ourselves that
cessfully given by the rem arkable tensify feeling; musk and cam- »»d philosophic interest in general i m akes for R ighteousness ’’
progress of the microscopic anato- phor reanim ate the fainting con- tru th s often rem ain for m any years
y , s “ the U *
s planned
m y of the brain, which we owe to sciousness; ether and chloroform longer.
I .
»
for good ’ as we ad a p t and adopt it
th e perfect m ethods of research of deaden it, and so forth.
How
The individual developm ent of
to our goodness, as stock and scion
m odern science (K olliker, Plechsig, would th a t he possible if conscious- consciousness in earlier youth
to each ether. Thus the goodless
Golgi, Edinger, A\ eigert, and oth- ness were an im m aterial entity, in- proves the universal validity of
and badless wild of the U niverse be
^ rs)-
dependent of these anatom ical or- the biogenetic law; and, indeed, it
comes our flower and fruit garden,
The m ost im portant developm ent gans? And w hat becomes of the is still recognizable in m any ways
as the good m akes it “ good.” And
In any
is the discovery of the organs of consciousness of the “ im m ortal d u rin g the latter years.
yet n atu re m akes us too, and “ is
th o u g h t by Paul Flechaig, of Leip soul” when it no longer has the a n y case, the ontogenesis of con
made belter by no mean, hut n a
sciousness makes it perfectly clear
zig; he proved th a t in the gray use of these organs?
ture makes th a t m ean .”
th
a
t
it
is
not
an
“
im
m
aterial
enti-
bed of the brain are found the four
These and other fam iliar facts
seats of the cen tral sense-organs, prove th a t m a n ’s consciousness
hut a physiological function of
W ho O wns The C hild?
or four “ inner spheres of sensation” — and th a t of the nearest mam- ^he hrain, a °d th at it is, conse-
— the sphere of touch in the v e rti m ais— is changeable, and th a t its q n en tly , no exception to the gener
The child belongs to itself, and not
cal lobe, the sphere of smell in the activity is alwa> s open to modifi al law of substance.
to the S tate or the C hurch, nor the
frontal lobe, the sphere of sight in cation from inner [alim entation,
parent. The doctrine th a t the child
the occipital lobe, and the sphere circulation, etc.] and outer causes
Moreover, th a t highest stage of belongs to the parent, is a survival
of hearing in the tem poral lobe. [lesion of the brain, stim ulation, consciousness, which is reached bv
Between these four “ sense-centres” etc.] Very instructive, too, are man alone, has been evolved step of the savage times when the fath
lie the four great “ thought-cen the facts of double ami in term ii- by step—even by the very progress er m ight »ell or kill his child. Ac
cording to the priests of all relgions
tres,” or centres of association, the te n t
consciousness,
w h i c h of civilization— from a lower con
the child belongs to God and pa
real organs of m ental life; they are rem ind
us of “ a 1 t e r n a t e dition, as we find illustrated today
rents m ust hand it to them as his
those highest instrum ents of psy generations
of
preseuta- in the case of uncivilized races.
chic activity th a t produce thought tions.” The same individual has T hat is easily proved by a com par vicars. By our civil law, m ade by
and consciousness.
In front we i an entirely different consciousness ison of their languages, which is the people for the people, the child
have the frontal brain or centre of; On different days, with a change of closely connected with the com par is not a property but a personality,
association; behind, on top there is circumstances; he does not know ison of their ideas. The higher the and the State is the guardian of the
the vertical brain, or parietal cen today what he did yesterday: yes- conceptional faculty advances in child as a coming factor in the civil
As the State holds the man
tre of association, and underneath terdry he could say, “ I am I ” ; to thoughtful civilized m an, the more firm.
th e principal brain, or “ the great day he m ust say, “ I am another qualified he is to detect cou mon responsible to itself, so also is It re-
occipito-tem poral centre of associ- being.”
Such interm itteuce of features am id a m ultitude of de sponuible to the child, and is both
c ia tio n ” (th e most im portant of consciousness m ay last not only tails, and em body them in general entitled and bound to see th at it is
a ll); lower down, and internally, day, but m ouths, and even years; concepts, and so much the clearer protected and rig h tly educated as
th e in su lar brain or the insula of the change may even become perm and deeper does his consciousness a citizen, loyal first of all to th at
governm ent which cares for its wel
Keil, the in su lar centre of associa anent.
become.
fare and claim s its future support.
tion.
These four “ thought-cen
As everybody knows, the new
The regent of th at religion which
tres,” distinguished from t he in ter born infant has no consciousness.
Book N otes.
more th an any other asserts its
m ediate “ sense-centres” by a pecul Preyer has shown th a t it is only
au th o rity above all others, is most
ia r and elaborate nerve-structure, developed alter the child has begun
[From “ L ittle Journeys to the
inconsistent of all together, in de
. re the true and sole organs of to speak; for a long time it speaks
Homes of English A uthors,” from
m anding rights on the grounds of
thought and consciousness. Flech- of itself in the th ird person.
In the “ P hilistine, a periodical of
those secuiar and religious liberties
»ig has recently pointed out th at, the im p o rtan t m om ent when it first
protest,” published by the Roycrof-
which it is one of its four c a rd in al
in the case of man, very specific pronounces the word “ I,” when
ters, E ast A urora, N. Y.]
principles to condemn and to ever
structures are found in one part of the feeling of self becomes clear, we
Q uaiutness and hum or and wis affirm the Church above the S tate 1
th em ; these stru ctu res are w anting have the beginning of self-con
in the other m am m als, and they, sciousness, and of the an tith esis to dom are a trin ity which we all wor If the State has any right, it is to
Even the sad victim s of repel such doctrine, and if the child
therefore, afford an explanation of the non-ego.
The rapid and solid ship.
the su periority of m an ’s m ental progress in knowledge which the “ the liver-trouble belief” cannot has any right, it is to rebel against
being lau g h t such dogm atism as
powers.
child makes in its first ten years he wholly indifferent thereunto.
So all welcome these “ Jo u rn ey s” this and its like abom inations. The
'Phe m om entuous announcem ent under tne care of parents an i
and the “ P h ilistin e” which put a whole logical argum ent against the
of modern physiology, th a t the teachers, and the slower progress of
a soft mellow, yet alterative su n Bible in public school is this: The
cerebrum is the organ of conscious the second decade, until it reaches
Bible is a religious book, the public
ness and m ental action in man and com plete m aturity of m ind, are in light over the world, and make us
school is a secular in stitu tio n .
the higher m am m als, is illustrated tim ately connected with a great ad see and feel, and so appreciate
We do not insist enough on the
and confirmed by the pathological vancem ent in the growth and de things and fellows as we could not
Did we ever see and feel rig h ts of the State to control the
study of its diseases.
W hen parts velopm ent of consciousness and of before.
education of the* children an d to
of the cortex are destroy« d by dis its organ, the brain.
But even our creed, for instance, more lov
resist the efforts of the C hurch,
ease tlo ir respective functions are when the pupil has got his “certifi ingly and livingly th an in these
or ra th e r of its priests who try to
affected and thus we are enabled to cate of m a tu rity ” his consciousness words over poor Coleridge.
“ We no longer accept the doctrine tw ist heaven and earth to th eir
some extent, to localize the activi- is still far from m ature; it is then
own will. W hen the C atholics stop
ties of the brain; when certain th a t his “ world-consciousness” first th at our n atu res are rooted in in
parts of the area are diseased, th at begins to develop, in his manifold famy, and th a t the desires of the th eir holy devotions in those public
schools which they control we can
portion of thought and conscious relations with the outer world. flesh are cunning trap s set by Sa-
ness disappears which depends on Then, in the third decade, we have tan, with G od’s perm ission to un th in k them more sincere in their
We believe th a t no one protest against sectarian teaching
those particular sections.
P ath o the
full
m atu rity of rational do us.
logical experim ent yields the sam e thought and consciousness, which, can harm us but ourselves, th a t i° seeula r in stitu tio n s.
.. .k . j
t
v.
i
©in i® m isdirected energy; th a t
J* P- G .
eeult, the decay of some known jn cases of norm al developm ent, there is no devil <
r.
.
,
- i ----- -
- — -- hut fear, and th a t
I’eopie
who act very sm all
:e a [for instance, the centre of yield their ripe fruits during th e j the U niverse is planned for good. (are not to be noticed.