Page:Psychology and preaching.djvu/63

 MENTAL SYSTEMS 45

Even if you were a philosopher you would probably fail. You would probably have to fall back upon the use meaning it is something to sit on. In this respect, if in no other, we all retain our childhood to the end of our days.

2. Secondary or theoretical meaning and its relation to the functional. As the mental system is reflectively reor ganized each unit of experience is brought into more con scious and definite relations with others, and with mere ex tensive sections of the system. Its meaning thus becomes at once more explicit and more complex, while the reference to its function becomes more remote. Usually the theoretical definition of an object makes no immediate reference to its ordinary use, but gives it a definite location in a wide circle of concepts and seeks particularly to fix it in a genetic series, to define it in terms of the facts which conditioned its appearance. The movement is from concrete, practical, meaning to abstract, theoretical meaning. But in theo retical meaning there is an implicit reference to use or func tion. In the last analysis all knowledge, though it may be sought by some minds for its own sake, has as its function the guidance of conduct, in the broad sense of the word. It is the equipment of a man for proper adjustment to his total environment. The primary use meanings of an object guide one s adjustment to it in simple and ordinary sit uations and furnish a sufficient basis for rules of action ; but there are exceptions to all rules. The theoretical, or scientific, meanings, seeing things in their relation to the whole range of experience as treasured up in one s system of concepts, guide adjustment in varying and exceptional situations, and give a basis for universal principles of action to which there are no exceptions.

But neither type of meaning is sufficient apart from the other. The simple use meanings need to be enlarged and corrected by the scientific in order that all essential elements which are not obvious may be included, and in order that they may be purged of all unessential elements, which might in unusual circumstances lead astray; and the scientific

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