ANECDOTES OF INSTINCT. "The philosopher avers That Reason guides our deeds, and Instinct theirs. Instinct and Reason, how shall we divide?"-PRIOR. HAVING already some notions of my own about instinct, I thought it best before writing about it to see what others thought, and by way of beginning did what I would recommend you, my readers, to do when placed in like circumstances: I looked out the word "instinct" in Johnson's Dictionary, the large edition. I am very glad I did so, for it saved me the trouble of further search. I do not entirely accept his definitions of the word, for reasons which I shall show presently; but I met there with the quotation at the head of this paper, and a very appro priate one it is, and in certain other quotations connected with this, and cited by the great lexicographer from our best authors, I thought I saw indications and confirmations of that theory of instinct which I have long held, and mean to hold, until convinced of its unsoundness, or of the greater soundness of some other. "The philosopher avers That Reason guides our deeds, and Instinct theirs." Then, according to the philosopher, reason and instinct are quite distinct: the former belongs to men only (including women), the latter to brutes only; or, if instinct ever is found in men, it does not guide their deeds; and if reason ever is found in brutes, it does not guide theirs. "Instinct and Reason, how shall we divide?" Well said, Prior! how, indeed? Dr. Johnson's definitions, already alluded to, are (1) "Desire or aversion acting in the mind without the intervention of reason or deliberation ;" and (2) "The power of determining the will of brutes." He rather differs there from the "philosopher," for he allows, or seems to allow, instinct to be common to men |