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488 VII. THE MECHANISM OF TIME-BINDING |
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on music, or the conditional reflexes of Pavlov., may present, and, in fact, generally does present, difficulties, because it is formulated on purely verbal and analytical levels. But these levels are most important, for we find that on these levels the full evaluation, and so the full realization, of existing or possible relations and meanings is accomplished. In these verbal levels we find also economical and effective means to analyse further developments on which the possible range of applications ultimately depends. Such a treatise can be produced by a single man and thereby becomes available for the rest of us.
A description of the application is, however, very simple; we label the related parts of some structure, describe, mostly in terms of order, their interrelations, and then give instructions how to act, push, pull, or turn a given part to get such and such results. These descriptions, although verbal, refer exclusively to some physical structure, so that men of very low 'mentality' can soon become acquainted with the practical problems concerned. When the reflex-handling of the physical structure is acquired, the experimental and behaviouristic aspects become childishly simple. A child can see the experimental results of any theory, or notice the ease and simplicity of the reflex-adjustments a good driver can make.
But what an infant, a savage, or an ignorant man cannot do, is appreciate the meanings of given occurrences and evaluate them; in other words, they cannot relate the given occurrences to other occurrences which alone give the significance of the happenings. Thus, not only physicists, but even the average man, knew of the equality of gravitational and inertial mass; it took the genius of an Einstein, however, to evaluate properly, to have the proper semantic reaction toward this 'commonplace fact'. The present work shows clearly that all semantic disturbances exhibit a lack of proper evaluation; or in getting hold of the meanings, or relations, or order of different order abstractions. Only a full theoretical understanding can supply us with those '. meanings and produce in us the proper s.r of evaluation - a necessary psychophysiological step for further advance, and for full application of \ the conquests already made. ]
As the present work is experimental throughout, and deals with verifiable subjects, such as the structure of languages on record, the natural order of development, the pathological reversal of order, which, if again reversed, restores the natural order., and, when applied, brings .about most beneficial experimental results, all that has been said about i experimental theories applies fully in our case. |
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