the soul of the far east(远东的灵魂)-第37章
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life principle； the power which causes psychical change； which makes the
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individual something distinct from all other individuals； a being capable of
proving sufficient； if need be； unto himself； which shows itself； in short； as
individuality。 This is not a mere restatement of the case； for individuality
is an objective fact capable of being treated by physical science。 And as
we know much more at present about physical facts than we do of
psychological problems； we may be able to arrive the sooner at solution。
Individuality； personality； and the sense of self are only three different
aspects of one and the same thing。 They are so many various views of
the soul according as we regard it from an intrinsic； an altruistic； or an
egoistic standpoint。 For by individuality is not meant simply the
isolation in a corporeal casing of a small portion of the universal soul of
mankind。 So far as mind goes； this would not be individuality at all； but
the reverse。 By individuality we mean that bundle of ideas； thoughts； and
daydreams which constitute our separate identity； and by virtue of which
we feel each one of us at home within himself。 Now man in his mind…
development is bound to become more and more distinct from his
neighbor。 We can hardly conceive a progress so uniform as not to
necessitate this。 It would be contrary to all we know of natural law；
besides contradicting daily experience。 For each successive generation
bears unmistakable testimony to the fact。 Children of the same parents
are never exactly like either their parents or one another； and they often
differ amazingly from both。 In such instances they revert to type； as we
say； but inasmuch as the race is steadily advancing in development； such
reversion must resemble that of an estate which has been greatly improved
since its previous possession。 The appearance of the quality is really the
sprouting of a seed whose original germ was in some sense coeval with
the beginning of things。 This mind…seed takes root in some cases and not
in others； according to the soil it finds。 And as certain traits develop and
others do not； one man turns out very differently from his neighbor。
Such inevitable distinction implies furthermore that the man shall be
sensible of it。 Consciousness is the necessary attribute of mental action。
Not only is it the sole way we have of knowing mind； without it there
would be no mind to know。 Not to be conscious of one's self is； mentally
speaking； not to be。 This complex entity； this little cosmos of a world；
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the 〃I；〃 has for its very law of existence self…consciousness； while
personality is the effect it produces upon the consciousness of others。
But we may push our inquiry a step further； and find in imagination
the cause of this strange force。 For imagination； or the image…making
faculty； may in a certain sense be said to be the creator of the world within。
The separate senses furnish it with material； but to it alone is due the
building of our castles； on premises of fact or in the air。 For there is no
impassable gulf between the two。 Coleridge's distinction that
imagination drew possible pictures and fancy impossible ones； is itself；
except as a classification； an impossible distinction to draw； for it is only
the inconceivable that can never be。 All else is purely a matter of relation。
We may instance dreams which are usually considered to rank among the
most fanciful creations of the mind。 Who has not in his dreams fallen
repeatedly from giddy heights and invariably escaped unhurt？ If he had
attempted the feat in his waking moments he would assuredly have been
dashed to pieces at the bottom。 And so we say the thing is impossible。
But is it？ Only under the relative conditions of his mass and the earth's。
If the world he happens to inhabit were not its present size； but the size of
one of the tinier asteroids； no such disastrous results would follow a
chance misstep。 He could there walk off precipices when too closely
pursued by bears if I remember rightly the usual childish cause of the
same with perfect impunity。 The bear could do likewise； unfortunately。
We should have arrived at our conclusion even quicker had we decreased
the size both of the man and his world。 He would not then have had to
tumble actually so far； and would therefore have arrived yet more gently at
the foot。 This turns out； then； to be a mere question of size。 Decrease
the scale of the picture； and the impossible becomes possible at once。 All
fancies are not so easily reducible to actual facts as the one we have taken；
but all； perhaps； eventually may be explicable in the same general way。
At present we certainly cannot affirm that anything may not be thus
explained。 For the actual is widening its field every day。 Even in this
little world of our own we are daily discovering to be fact what we should
have thought fiction； like the sailor's mother the tale of the flying fish。
Beyond it our ken is widening still more。 Gulliver's travels may turn out
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truer than we think。 Could we traverse the inter…planetary ocean of ether；
we might eventually find in Jupiter the land of Lilliput or in Ceres some
old…time country of the Brobdignagians。 For men constituted muscularly
like ourselves would have to be proportionately small in the big planet and
big in the small one。 Still stranger things may exist around other suns。 In
those bright particular starswhich the little girl thought pinholes in the
dark canopy of the sky to let the glory beyond shine throughwe are
finding conditions of existence like yet unlike those we already know。 To
our groping speculations of the night they almost seem； as we gaze on
them in their twinkling； to be winking us a sort of comprehension。
Conditions may exist there under which our wildest fancies may be
commonplace facts。 There may be
〃Some Xanadu where Kublai can a stately pleasure dome
decree；〃
and carry out his conceptions to his own disillusionment； perhaps。 For
if the embodiment of a fancy； however complete； left nothing further to be
wished； imagination would have no incentive to work。 Coleridge's
distinction does very well to separate； empirically； certain kinds of
imaginative concepts from certain others； but it has no real foundation in
fact。 Nor presumably did he mean it to have。 But it serves； not inaptly；
as a text to point out an important sc
