darwin and modern science-第151章
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s of behaviour that may be anticipated;signs which stimulate the appropriate attitude of response。 This would not; however; serve to account for the utility of the organic accompanimentsheart…affection; respiratory changes; vaso…motor effects and so forth; together with heightened muscular tone;on all of which Darwin lays stress (〃Expression of the Emotions〃; pages 65 ff。) under his third principle。 The biological value of all this is; however; of great importance; though Darwin was hardly in a position to take it fully into account。
Having regard to the instinctive and hereditary factors of emotional expression we may ask whether Darwin's third principle does not alone suffice as an explanation。 Whether we admit or reject Lamarckian inheritance it would appear that all hereditary expression must be due to pre…established connections within the central nervous system and to a transmitted provision for coordinated response under the appropriate stimulation。 If this be so; Darwin's first and second principles are subordinate and ancillary to the third; an expression; so far as it is instinctive or hereditary; being 〃the direct result of the constitution of the nervous system。〃
Darwin accepted the emotions themselves as hereditary or acquired states of mind and devoted his attention to their expression。 But these emotions themselves are genetic products and as such dependent on organic conditions。 It remained; therefore; for psychologists who accepted evolution and sought to build on biological foundations to trace the genesis of these modes of animal and human experience。 The subject has been independently developed by Professors Lange and James (Cf。 William James; 〃Principles of Psychology〃; Vol。 II。 Chap。 XXV; London; 1890。); and some modification of their view is regarded by many evolutionists as affording the best explanation of the facts。 We must fix our attention on the lower emotions; such as anger or fear; and on their first occurrence in the life of the individual organism。 It is a matter of observation that if a group of young birds which have been hatched in an incubator are frightened by an appropriate presentation; auditory or visual; they instinctively respond in special ways。 If we speak of this response as the expression; we find that there are many factors。 There are certain visible modes of behaviour; crouching at once; scattering and then crouching; remaining motionless; the braced muscles sustaining an attitude of arrest; and so forth。 There are also certain visceral or organic effects; such as affections of the heart and respiration。 These can be readily observed by taking the young bird in the hand。 Other effects cannot be readily observed; vaso…motor changes; affections of the alimentary canal; the skin and so forth。 Now the essence of the James…Lange view; as applied to these congenital effects; is that though we are justified in speaking of them as effects of the stimulation; we are not justified; without further evidence; in speaking of them as effects of the emotional state。 May it not rather be that the emotion as a primary mode of experience is the concomitant of the net result of the organic situationthe initial presentation; the instinctive mode of behaviour; the visceral disturbances? According to this interpretation the primary tissue of experience of the emotional order; felt as an unanalysed complex; is generated by the stimulation of the sensorium by afferent or incoming physiological impulses from the special senses; from the organs concerned in the responsive behaviour; from the viscera and vaso…motor system。
Some psychologists; however; contend that the emotional experience is generated in the sensorium prior to; and not subsequent to; the behaviour… response and the visceral disturbances。 It is a direct and not an indirect outcome of the presentation to the special senses。 Be this as it may; there is a growing tendency to bring into the closest possible relation; or even to identify; instinct and emotion in their primary genesis。 The central core of all such interpretations is that instinctive behaviour and experience; its emotional accompaniments; and its expression; are but different aspects of the outcome of the same organic occurrences。 Such emotions are; therefore; only a distinguishable aspect of the primary tissue of experience and exhibit a like differentiation。 Here again a biological foundation is laid for a psychological doctrine of the mental development of the individual。
The intimate relation between emotion as a psychological mode of experience and expression as a group of organic conditions has an important bearing on biological interpretation。 The emotion; as the psychological accompaniment of orderly disturbances in the central nervous system profoundly influences behaviour and often renders it more vigorous and more effective。 The utility of the emotions in the struggle for existence can; therefore; scarcely be over…estimated。 Just as keenness of perception has survival… value; just as it is obviously subject to variation; just as it must be enhanced under natural selection; whether individually acquired increments are inherited or not; and just as its value lies not only in this or that special perceptive act but in its importance for life as a whole; so the vigorous effectiveness of activity has survival…value; it is subject to variation; it must be enhanced under natural selection; and its importance lies not only in particular modes of behaviour but in its value for life as a whole。 If emotion and its expression as a congenital endowment are but different aspects of the same biological occurrence; and if this is a powerful supplement to vigour effectiveness and persistency of behaviour; it must on Darwin's principles be subject to natural selection。
If we include under the expression of the emotions not only the premonitory symptoms of the initial phases of the organic and mental state; not only the signs or conditions of half…tide emotion; but the full…tide manifestation of an emotion which dominates the situation; we are naturally led on to the consideration of many of the phenomena which are discussed under the head of sexual selection。 The subject is difficult and complex; and it was treated by Darwin with all the strength he could summon to the task。 It can only be dealt with here from a special point of viewthat which may serve to illustrate the influence of certain mental factors on the course of evolution。 From this point of view too much stress can scarcely be laid on the dominance of emotion during the period of courtship and pairing in the more highly organised animals。 It is a period of maximum vigour; maximum activity; and; correlated with special modes of behaviour and special organic and visceral accompaniments; a period also of maximum emotional excitement。 The combats of males; their dances and aerial evolutions; their elaborate behaviour and display; or the flood of song in birds; are emotional expressions which are at any rate coincident in time with sexual periodicity。 From the combat of the males there follows on Darwin's principles the elimination of those which are deficient in bodily vigour; deficient in special structures; offensive or protective; which contribute to success; deficient in the emotional supplement of which persistent and whole…hearted fighting is the expression; and deficient in alertness and skill which are the outcome of the psychological development of the powers of perception。 Few biologists question that we have here a mode of selection of much importance; though its influence on psychological evolution often fails to receive its due emphasis。 Mr Wallace (〃Darwinism〃; pages 282; 283; London; 1889。) regards it as 〃a form of natural selection〃; 〃to it;〃 he says; 〃we must impute the development of the exceptional strength; size; and activity of the male; together with the possession of special offensive and defensive weapons; and of all other characters which arise from the development of these or are correlated with them。〃 So far there is little disagreement among the followers of Darwin for Mr Wallace; with fine magnanimity; has always preferred to be ranked as such; notwithstandin