Page:Philosophical Review Volume 1.djvu/134

118  recognition, — a shade of color, a feature of the countenance, arise in consciousness along with the quality of having been seen before, of being known, but without any accompanying play, so far as we can find, of associated ideas postulated by the theory of contiguity. L. contends that the associated ideas are present, though not always open to introspection: in a series of experiments for association with the sense of smell, he was sometimes able to raise the latent association into consciousness by suggestion. The reacter reflected on the sensation before answering 'known' or 'unknown.' If the quality of familiarity lies in a greater facility of motion of the brain molecules, there is no reason why a stimulus should not be 'placed' as soon as it affects the brain.

From experiments on expectant recognition with sound, similar to those made with light (Phil. Stud. Bd. V, pp. 96-156), L. finds there is the same inclination to over-estimation of the last sensation as in cases of direct comparison of successive sensations. From this he reasons that recognition takes place through a more or less conscious comparison where a comparison is possible.

Consequently, the theory of contiguity is to be preferred to the theory of similarity: 1st, as not positing a tendency towards motion in the brain as the correlate to an element of sensation; 2d, as making fewer assumptions; 3d, as explaining more of the facts of recognition.

The question, Is the holding of private property in land warranted? is but a phase of the larger question, Is the law of civilized nations by which it is allowed justifiable? and this again is a phase of the more general inquiry, Is history justifiable? But in this last form it becomes simply absurd. For the fundamental institutions of races create the standard by reference to which individual action is judged to be right or wrong; and, therefore, are not themselves subject to that standard. History does not follow law or moral principles. The contents of the abstract conception of right vary according to times and circumstances, and to ask whether any past institution was justifiable can mean only whether it would conform to the present contents of that conception. It was introduced in the struggle to survive, and, in comparison, the influence of individuals' moral ideas may be neglected. Property was originally a brutal fact like manslaughter, but afterwards like other useful things it came to be defended by bayonets and religion. Before