The Gavelyte, February 1910

The Gavelyte. VOL. V. FEBRUARY 1910. NO. 2. Psychology Series--Number Three. W. H. i\I 1 CHESNF.Y, PH. D. Closely aRSOl'iated with smell is the sense of taste. Its organ consists of the minute papillae found in the tongue, the sides of the mouth, and the back of th1-- throat. Its only percept is taste. It is in direct communication with the brain and its immediate cause to consciousness is the excitement produced in the brain by the ninth and fifth pairs of nerves. Sµace forbids more than a brief sketch of the remaining senses. The perc:ept of sight is color, light broken up over surfaces. That of bearing is sound and that of touch is merely the lightest surfac,e contact. All of these percfpt are occasioned by excitement of the · organism in contact with an external object and all are directly known to consciousness in the form of some brain activity appropriate to each. This act;vity occurs in the center receiving thti nerve coming from the organ . This truth has been µroved µathologically, as in diff.erent aphasias; and experimentally, as by electrical tests; and embrsolngically. The established fact of modern psychology is that consciousness depends upon brain activity. It remains fo r coming years to determine the exact relation betwe€n brain and conscious ar.tivit.y. At i)resent it is a metaphysical question. One of the main ~ources of all ol1r knowledge is sensation. I~ is the original source. The claim to innate ideas is absurd . No doubt, the cc:1pacity to rrcquire knowledge is hereditary and also increased physiologically by exerciRe and growth of the nervous Rystem. But no one is born with ideas in embryo. Tendencies and propensities are hereditary, but their results are developed or impeded as their possessor may ehoose. The claim of !!Orne that, if one were born absolutely without sense organs and could live, he woulcl lw a thinking, rational ht>ing can at best Le only a claim without foundation in fact or thought. If there are no innate ideas there can be no i-uch thing as original perception. All our perception is acquired. In onr flPXt artitlP- WP shall diSCIH,S pPl'CPptiLJn.