Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- CHAP. I ON CERTAIN ACQUIRED HABITS
- CHAP. II CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS KNOWERS—THE LAW AND GRACE
- CHAP. III APPLICATION OF FOREGOING CHAPTERS TO CERTAIN HABITS ACQUIRED AFTER BIRTH WHICH ARE COMMONLY CONSIDERED INSTINCTIVE
- CHAP. IV APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING PRINCIPLES TO ACTIONS AND HABITS ACQUIRED BEFORE BIRTH
- CHAP. V PERSONAL IDENTITY
- CHAP. VI PERSONAL IDENTITY—(continued)
- CHAP. VII OUR SUBORDINATE PERSONALITIES
- CHAP. VIII APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING CHAPTERS — THE ASSIMILATION OF OUTSIDE MATTER
- CHAP. IX ON THE ABEYANCE OF MEMORY
- CHAP. X WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO FIND IF DIFFERENTIATIONS OF STRUCTURE AND INSTINCT ARE MAINLY DUE TO MEMORY
- CHAP. XI INSTINCT AS INHERITED MEMORY
- CHAP. XII INSTINCTS OF NEUTER INSECTS
- CHAP. XIII LAMARCK AND MR. DARWIN
- CHAP. XIV MR. MIVART AND MR. DARWIN
- CHAP. XV CONCLUDING REMARKS
CHAP. I - ON CERTAIN ACQUIRED HABITS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- CHAP. I ON CERTAIN ACQUIRED HABITS
- CHAP. II CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS KNOWERS—THE LAW AND GRACE
- CHAP. III APPLICATION OF FOREGOING CHAPTERS TO CERTAIN HABITS ACQUIRED AFTER BIRTH WHICH ARE COMMONLY CONSIDERED INSTINCTIVE
- CHAP. IV APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING PRINCIPLES TO ACTIONS AND HABITS ACQUIRED BEFORE BIRTH
- CHAP. V PERSONAL IDENTITY
- CHAP. VI PERSONAL IDENTITY—(continued)
- CHAP. VII OUR SUBORDINATE PERSONALITIES
- CHAP. VIII APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING CHAPTERS — THE ASSIMILATION OF OUTSIDE MATTER
- CHAP. IX ON THE ABEYANCE OF MEMORY
- CHAP. X WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO FIND IF DIFFERENTIATIONS OF STRUCTURE AND INSTINCT ARE MAINLY DUE TO MEMORY
- CHAP. XI INSTINCT AS INHERITED MEMORY
- CHAP. XII INSTINCTS OF NEUTER INSECTS
- CHAP. XIII LAMARCK AND MR. DARWIN
- CHAP. XIV MR. MIVART AND MR. DARWIN
- CHAP. XV CONCLUDING REMARKS
Summary
It will be our business in the following chapters to consider whether the unconsciousness, or quasi-unconsciousness, with which we perform certain acquired actions, would seem to throw any light upon Embryology and inherited instincts, and otherwise to follow the train of thought which the class of actions abovementioned would suggest; more especially in so far as they appear to bear upon the origin of species and the continuation of life by successive generations, whether in the animal or vegetable kingdoms.
In the outset, however, I would wish most distinctly to disclaim for these pages the smallest pretension to scientific value, originality, or even to accuracy of more than a very rough and ready kind–for unless a matter be true enough to stand a good deal of misrepresentation, its truth is not of a very robust order, and the blame will rather lie with its own delicacy if it be crushed, than with the carelessness of the crusher. I have no wish to instruct, and not much to be instructed; my aim is simply to entertain and interest the numerous class of people who, like myself, know nothing of science, but who enjoy speculating and reflecting (not too deeply) upon the phenomena around them.
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- Life and Habit , pp. 1 - 19Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1878