Is A Science of the Mind Possible?

Diagram I

Phylogeny of Psychical Functions

Organic Kingdom

Cognitive Functions (phylum)	Conative Functions (phylum)
Reasoning (class) Associations based upon categorical and causative considerations employing individual imagination and judgment, and requiring a highly evolved capacity to cognize abstruse similarity (and difference) in remote regions or experience. Reasoned associations exhibit a high degree of individualization. Conditioning (class) Associations based upon contiguity in space and time. Learning which does not involve individual imagination and judgment. Likely progenitor of the reasoning process. Individualization reflected by different environmental input, but high degree of identicality in organisms from identical environment.	Higher Emotion (class) Ego-related emotional need (need for self-value) present only in man (or at least to any degree) and which serves no obvious biological function. In contrast with single events which initiate lower emotional behavior, higher emotional behavior emanates from complex and often abstract concepts (honor, glory, etc.) and which are highly individualized. Behavior is equally complex and individualized and objectives associated with higher emotional need can often dominate an individual's behavior for most of his lifetime. Lower Emotion (class) Short term emotional states (fear, anger and sexual arousal) which serve obvious biological functions and are well represented in species other than man. Very similar to pain and pleasure in that they are nonvolitional psychical responses to single events (stimuli). Conscious interpretation usually necessary in stimulus discrimination as well as somewhat greater autonomy in behavior compared with pain and pleasure. Pain and Pleasure (class) Short term psychical states (i.e., increased attentiveness and urge to behave in a specific manner) to single events which nonvolitionally invoke their occurrence. High degree of intraspecies identicality.

Cognitive Functions (phylum)

Conative Functions (phylum)

Reasoning (class) Associations based upon categorical and causative considerations employing individual imagination and judgment, and requiring a highly evolved capacity to cognize abstruse similarity (and difference) in remote regions or experience. Reasoned associations exhibit a high degree of individualization.

Conditioning (class) Associations based upon contiguity in space and time. Learning which does not involve individual imagination and judgment. Likely progenitor of the reasoning process. Individualization reflected by different environmental input, but high degree of identicality in organisms from identical environment.

Higher Emotion (class) Ego-related emotional need (need for self-value) present only in man (or at least to any degree) and which serves no obvious biological function. In contrast with single events which initiate lower emotional behavior, higher emotional behavior emanates from complex and often abstract concepts (honor, glory, etc.) and which are highly individualized. Behavior is equally complex and individualized and objectives associated with higher emotional need can often dominate an individual's behavior for most of his lifetime.

Lower Emotion (class) Short term emotional states (fear, anger and sexual arousal) which serve obvious biological functions and are well represented in species other than man. Very similar to pain and pleasure in that they are nonvolitional psychical responses to single events (stimuli). Conscious interpretation usually necessary in stimulus discrimination as well as somewhat greater autonomy in behavior compared with pain and pleasure.

Pain and Pleasure (class) Short term psychical states (i.e., increased attentiveness and urge to behave in a specific manner) to single events which nonvolitionally invoke their occurrence. High degree of intraspecies identicality.

^ more evolved functions ^ (individualization) ^
v less evolved functions v (identicality) v

Instinctive Functions (phylum) This phylum is of significance as the likely progenitor of both conative and cognitive functions of a more advanced nature which appear in the human psyche. Highest probability of intraspecies identicality. Konrad Lorenz has identified numerous modifications of both instinctive and conditioned functions which could be listed as order, species, etc.

Inorganic Kingdom In much the manner it has been postulated that living organisms evolved from lesser complex inorganic matter, so too, it is equally probable that the more complex psychical functions appearing in man can seek their origins in simple psychical correspondents to the behavior of inorganic matter. Thus, it is proposed that in every instance in which inanimate matter responds to an environmental circumstance, it is exhibiting consciousness on its most rudimentary level; the consciousness of the existence or nonexistence (the bit) of the stimulus for which it is capable of eliciting a response. Because man already employs inorganic functions to mimic his own deductive thought functions, the science of cybernetics can provide a convenient format for psychical considerations, which can only be investigated through inference. Highest probability of identicality in the universe of psychical functions.

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