essays on life, art and science-第31章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


without　language；　and　no　language　without　reason。　　Surely　when　two
practised　pugilists　are　fighting；　parrying　each　other's　blows；　and
watching　keenly　for　an　unguarded　point；　they　are　thinking　and
reasoning　very　subtly　the　whole　time；　without　doing　so　in　words。
The　machination　of　their　thoughts；　as　well　as　its　expression；　is
actualI　mean；　effectuated　and　expressed　by　action　and　deed；　not
words。　　They　are　unaware　of　any　logical　sequence　of　thought　that
they　could　follow　in　words　as　passing　through　their　minds　at　all。
They　may　perhaps　think　consciously　in　words　now　and　again；　but　such
thought　will　be　intermittent；　and　the　main　part　of　the　fighting　will
be　done　without　any　internal　concomitance　of　articulated　phrases。
Yet　we　cannot　doubt　that　their　action；　however　much　we　may
disapprove　of　it；　is　guided　by　intelligence　and　reason；　nor　should
we　doubt　that　a　reasoning　process　of　the　same　character　goes　on　in
the　minds　of　two　dogs　or　fighting…cocks　when　they　are　striving　to
master　their　opponents。

Do　we　think　in　words；　again；　when　we　wind　up　our　watches；　put　on　our
clothes；　or　eat　our　breakfasts？　　If　we　do；　it　is　generally　about
something　else。　　We　do　these　things　almost　as　much　without　the　help
of　words　as　we　wink　or　yawn；　or　perform　any　of　those　other　actions
that　we　call　reflex；　as　it　would　almost　seem　because　they　are　done
without　reflection。　　They　are　not；　however；　the　less　reasonable
because　wordless。

Even　when　we　think　we　are　thinking　in　words；　we　do　so　only　in　half
measure。　　A　running　accompaniment　of　words　no　doubt　frequently
attends　our　thoughts；　but；　unless　we　are　writing　or　speaking；　this
accompaniment　is　of　the　vaguest　and　most　fitful　kind；　as　we　often
find　out　when　we　try　to　write　down　or　say　what　we　are　thinking
about；　though　we　have　a　fairly　definite　notion　of　it；　or　fancy　that
we　have　one；　all　the　time。　　The　thought　is　not　steadily　and
coherently　governed　by　and　moulded　in　words；　nor　does　it　steadily
govern　them。　　Words　and　thought　interact　upon　and　help　one　another；
as　any　other　mechanical　appliances　interact　on　and　help　the
invention　that　first　hit　upon　them；　but　reason　or　thought；　for　the
most　part；　flies　along　over　the　heads　of　words；　working　its　own
mysterious　way　in　paths　that　are　beyond　our　ken；　though　whether　some
of　our　departmental　personalities　are　as　unconscious　of　what　is
passing；　as　that　central　government　is　which　we　alone　dub　with　the
name　of　〃we〃　or　〃us；〃　is　a　point　on　which　I　will　not　now　touch。

I　cannot　think；　then；　that　Professor　Max　Muller's　contention　that
thought　and　language　are　identicaland　he　has　repeatedly　affirmed
thiswill　ever　be　generally　accepted。　　Thought　is　no　more　identical
with　language　than　feeling　is　identical　with　the　nervous　system。
True；　we　can　no　more　feel　without　a　nervous　system　than　we　can
discern　certain　minute　organisms　without　a　microscope。　　Destroy　the
nervous　system；　and　we　destroy　feeling。　　Destroy　the　microscope；　and
we　can　no　longer　see　the　animalcules；　but　our　sight　of　the
animalcules　is　not　the　microscope；　though　it　is　effectuated　by　means
of　the　microscope；　and　our　feeling　is　not　the　nervous　system；　though
the　nervous　system　is　the　instrument　that　enables　us　to　feel。

The　nervous　system　is　a　device　which　living　beings　have　gradually
perfectedI　believe　I　may　say　quite　trulythrough　the　will　and
power　which　they　have　derived　from　a　fountain…head；　the　existence　of
which　we　can　infer；　but　which　we　can　never　apprehend。　　By　the　help
of　this　device；　and　in　proportion　as　they　have　perfected　it；　living
beings　feel　ever　with　greater　definiteness；　and　hence　formulate
their　feelings　in　thought　with　more　and　more　precision。　　The　higher
evolution　of　thought　has　reacted　on　the　nervous　system；　and　the
consequent　higher　evolution　of　the　nervous　system　has　again　reacted
upon　thought。　　These　things　are　as　power　and　desire；　or　supply　and
demand；　each　one　of　which　is　continually　outstripping；　and　being　in
turn　outstripped　by　the　other；　but；　in　spite　of　their　close
connection　and　interaction；　power　is　not　desire；　nor　demand　supply。
Language　is　a　device　evolved　sometimes　by　leaps　and　bounds；　and
sometimes　exceedingly　slowly；　whereby　we　help　ourselves　alike　to
greater　ease；　precision；　and　complexity　of　thought；　and　also　to　more
convenient　interchange　of　thought　among　ourselves。　　Thought　found
rude　expression；　which　gradually　among　other　forms　assumed　that　of
words。　　These　reacted　upon　thought；　and　thought　again　on　them；　but
thought　is　no　more　identical　with　words　than　words　are　with　the
separate　letters　of　which　they　are　composed。

To　sum　up；　then；　and　to　conclude。　　I　would　ask　you　to　see　the
connection　between　words　and　ideas；　as　in　the　first　instance
arbitrary。　　No　doubt　in　some　cases　an　imitation　of　the　cry　of　some
bird　or　wild　beast　would　suggest　the　name　that　should　be　attached　to
it；　occasionally　the　sound　of　an　operation　such　as　grinding　may　have
influenced　the　choice　of　the　letters　g；　r；　as　the　root　of　many　words
that　denote　a　grinding；　grating；　grasping；　crushing；　action；　but　I
understand　that　the　number　of　words　due　to　direct　imitation　is
comparatively　few　in　number；　and　that　they　have　been　mainly　coined
as　the　result　of　connections　so　far…fetched　and　fanciful　as　to
amount　practically　to　no　connection　at　all。　　Once　chosen；　however；
they　were　adhered　to　for　a　considerable　time　among　the　dwellers　in
any　given　place；　so　as　to　become　acknowledged　as　the　vulgar　tongue；
and　raise　readily　in　the　mind　of　the　inhabitants　of　that　place　the
ideas　with　which　they　had　been　artificially　associated。

As　regards　our　being　able　to　think　and　reason　without　words；　the
Duke　of　Argyll　has　put　the　matter　as　soundly　as　I　have　yet　seen　it
stated。　　〃It　seems　to　me；〃　he　wrote；　〃quite　certain　that　we　can　and
do　constantly　think　of　things　without　thinking　of　any　sound　or　word
as　designating　them。　　Language　seems　to　me　to　be　necessary　for　the
progress　of　thought；　but　not　at　all　for　the　mere　act　of　thinking。
It　is　a　product　of　thought；　an　expression　of　it；　a　vehicle　for　the
communication　of　it；　and　an　embodiment　which　is　essential　to　its
growth　and　continuity；　but　it　seems　to　me　altogether　erroneous　to
regard　it　as　an　inseparable　part　of　cogitation。〃

The　following　passages；　again；　are　quoted　from　Sir　William　Hamilton
in　Professor　Max　Muller's　own　book；　with　so　much　approval　as　to　lead
one　to　suppose　that　the　differences　between　himself　and　his
opponents　are　in　reality　less　than　he　believes　them　to　be：…

〃Language；〃　says　Sir　W。　Hamilton；　〃is　the　attribution　of　signs　to
our　cognitions　of　things。　　But　as　a　cognition　must　have　already　been
there　before　it　could　receive　a　sign；　consequently　that　knowledge
which　is　denoted　by　the　formation　and　application　of　a　word　must
have　preceded　the　symbol　that　denotes　it。　　A　sign；　however；　is
necessary　to　give　stability　to　our　intellectual　progressto
establish　each　step　in　our　advance　as　a　new　starting…point　for　our
advance　to　another　beyond。　　A　country　may　be　overrun　by　an　armed
host；　but　it　is　only　conquered　by　the　establishment　of　fortresses。
Words　are　the　fortresses　of　thought。　　They　enable　us　to　realise　our
dominion　over　what　we　have　already　overrun　in　thought；　to　make　every
intellectual　conquest　the　base　of　operations　for　others　still
beyond。〃

〃This；〃　says　Professor　Max　Muller；　〃is　a　most　happy　illustration；〃
and　he　proceeds　to　quote　the　following；　also　from　Sir　William
Hamilton；　which　he　declares　to　be　even　happier　still。

〃You　have　all　heard；〃　says　Sir　William　Hamilton；　〃of　the　process　of
tunnelling　through　a　sandbank。　　In　this　operation　it　is　impossible
to　succeed　unless　every　foot；　nay；　almost　every　inch　of　our　progress
be　secured　by　an　arch　of　masonry　before　we　attempt　the　excavation　of
another。　　Now　language　is　to　the　mind　precisely　what　the　arch　is　to
the　tunnel。　　The　power　of　thinking　and　the　power　of　excavation　are
not　dependent　on　the　words　in　the　one　case　or　on　the　mason…work　in
the　other；　but　without　these　subsidiaries　neither　could　be　carried
on　beyond　its　rudimentary　commencement。　　Though；　therefore；　we　allow
that　every　movement　forward　in　language　must　be　determined　by　an
antecedent　movement　forward　in　thought；　still；　unl