phenomenology of mind-第76章

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such　cases；　so　that　the　skull　should　express　the　meaning　in　the　language　of　gesture。　Nor　does　this
existential　form　possess　the　value　even　of　a　symbol。　Look　and　gesture；　tone；　even　a　pillar　or　a　post
stuck　up　on　a　desert　island；　proclaim　at　once　that　they　stand　for　something　else　than　what　they
merely　are　at　first　sight。　They　forthwith　profess　to　be　symbols；　since　they　have　in　them　a
characteristic　which　points　to　something　else　by　the　fact　that　it　does　not　belong　peculiarly　to　them。
Doubtless；　even　in　the　case　of　a　skull；　there　is　many　an　idea　that　may　occur　to　us；　like　those　of
Hamlet　over　Yorick's　skull；　but　the　skull…bone　by　itself　is　such　an　indifferent　object；　such　an
innocent　thing；　that　there　is　nothing　else　to　be　seen　in　it　or　to　be　thought　about　it　directly　as　it　is；
except　simply　the　fact　of　its　being　a　skull。　It　no　doubt　reminds　us　of　the　brain　and　its　specific
nature；　and　skull　with　other　formations；　but　it　does　not　recall　a　conscious　process；　since　there　is
impressed　on　it　neither　a　look　or　gesture；　nor　anything　which　would　show　traces　of　derivation　from
a　conscious　activity。　For　it　is　that　sort　of　reality　which；　in　the　case　of　individuality；　is　intended　to
exhibit　an　aspect　of　another　kind；　one　that　would　no　longer　be　an　existence　reflecting　itself　into
itself；　but　bare　immediate　existence。

While；　further；　the　skull　does　not　itself　feel；　there　seems　still　a　possibility　of　providing　it　with　a　more
determinate　significance　in　the　fact　that　specific　feelings　might　enable　us；　through　their　being　in
proximity　to　it；　to　find　out　what　the　skull　may　mean　to　convey；　and　when　a　conscious　mode　of
mind　has　its　feeling　in　a　specific　region　of　the　skull；　it　may　be　thought　perhaps　that　this　spot　of　the
skull　may　indicate　by　its　shape　what　that　mode　is　and　what　its　peculiar　nature。　Just　as；　e。g。；　many
people　complain　of　feeling　a　painful　tension　somewhere　in　the　head　when　thinking　intensely；　or
even　when　thinking　at　all；　so　it　might　be　that　stealing；　committing　murder；　writing　poetry；　and　so　on；
could　each　be　accompanied　with　its　own　proper　feeling；　which　would　over　and　above　be　bound　to
have　its　peculiar　localization。　This　locality　of　the　brain；　which　would　in　this　manner　be　more
disturbed　and　exercised；　would　also　most　likely　develop　further　the　contiguous　locality　of　the　bone
of　the　skull；　or　again　this　latter　locality　would；　from　sympathy　or　conformity；　not　be　inert；　but
would　enlarge　or　diminish　or　in　some　other　way　assume　a　corresponding　form。

What；　however；　makes　such　a　hypothesis　improbable　is　this：　feeling　in　general　is　something
indeterminate；　and　that　feeling　in　the　head　as　the　centre　might　well　be　the　general　feeling　that
accompanies　all　suffering；　so　that　mixed　up　with　the　thief's；　murderer's；　poet's　tickling　or　pain　in　the
head　there　would　be　other　feelings　too；　and　they　would　permit　of　being　distinguished　from　one
another；　or　from　those　we　may　call　merely　bodily　feelings；　as　little　as　an　illness　can　be　determined
from　the　symptom　of　headache；　if　we　restrict　its　meaning　merely　to　the　bodily　element。

In　point　of　fact；　from　whatever　side　we　look　at　the　matter；　all　necessary　reciprocal　relation
between　them　comes　to　nothing；　as　well　as　any　intimation　the　one　might　give　of　the　other　in　virtue
of　such　a　relation。　If　the　relation　is　still　to　hold；　what　is　left　to　form　a　sort　of　necessary　relation　is　a
pre…established　harmony　of　the　corresponding　features　of　the　two　sides；　a　harmony　which　leaves
the　factors　in　question　quite　detached　and　rests　on　no　inherent　principle；　for　one　of　the　aspects　has
to　be　a　non…mental　reality；　a　bare　thing。

Thus　then；　on　one　side　we　have　a　number　of　passive　regions　of　the　skull；　on　the　other　a　number　of
mental　properties；　the　variety　and　character　of　which　will　depend　on　the　condition　of　psychological
investigation。　The　poorer　the　idea　we　have　of　mind；　the　easier　the　matter　becomes　in　this　respect；
for；　in　part；　the　fewer　become　the　mental　properties；　and；　in　part；　the　more　detached；　fixed；　and
ossified；　and　consequently　more　akin　to　features　of　the　bone　and　more　comparable　with　them。
But；　while　much　is　doubtless　made　easier　by　this　miserable　representation　of　the　mind；　there　still
remains　a　very　great　deal　to　be　found　on　both　sides：　there　remains　for　observation　to　deal　with　the
entire　contingency　of　their　relation。　When　every　faculty　of　the　soul；　every　passion　and　（for　this；　too；
must　be　considered　here）　the　various　shades　of　characters；　which　the　more　refined　psychology
and　〃knowledge　of　mankind〃　are　accustomed　to　talk　about；　are　each　and　all　assigned　their　place
on　the　skull；　and　their　contour　on　the　skull…bone；　the　arbitrariness　and　artificiality　of　this　procedure
are　just　as　glaring　as　if　the　children　of　Israel；　who　had　been　likened　to　〃the　sand　by　the　seashore
for　multitude〃；　had　each　assigned　and　taken　to　himself　his　own　symbolic　grain　of　sand！

The　skull　of　a　murderer　has　—　not　this　organ　or　sign　—　but　this　〃bump〃。　But　this　murderer　has　in
addition　a　lot　of　other　properties；　and　other　bumps　too；　and　along　with　the　bumps　hollows　as　well。
Bumps　and　hollows；　there　is　room　for　selection！　And　again　his　murderous　propensity　can　be
referred　to　any　bump　or　hollow；　and　this　in　turn　to　any　mental　quality；　for　the　murderer　is　neither
this　abstraction　of　a　murderer；　nor　does　he　have　merely　one　protuberance　and　one　depression。
The　observations　offered　on　this　point　must　therefore　sound　just　about　as　sensible　as　those　of　the
dealer　about　the　rain　at　the　annual　fair；　and　of　the　housewife　at　her　washing　time。　（8）　Dealer　and
housewife　might　as　well　make　the　observation　that　it　always　rains　when　neighbour　so…and…so
passes　by；　or　when　they　have　roast　pork。　From　the　point　of　view　of　observation　a　given
characteristic　of　mind　is　just　as　indifferent　to　a　given　formation　of　the　skull　as　rain　is　indifferent　to
circumstances　like　these。　For　of　the　two　objects　thus　under　observation；　the　one　is　a　barren
isolated　entity　（Fürsichsein）；　an　ossified　property　of　mind；　the　other　is　an　equally　barren
potentiality　（Ansichsein）。　Such　an　ossified　entity；　as　they　both　are；　is　completely　indifferent　to
everything　else。　It　is　just　as　much　a　matter　of　indifference　to　a　high　bump　whether　a　murderer　is　in
close　proximity；　as　to　the　murderer　whether　flatness　is　near　him。

There　is；　of　course；　no　getting　over　the　possibility　that　still　remains；　that　a　bump　at　a　certain　place
is　connected　with　a　certain　property；　passion；　etc。　We　can　think　of　the　murderer　with　a　high　bump
here　at　this　place　on　the　skull；　the　thief　with　one　there。　From　this　point　of　view　phrenology　is
capable　of　much　greater　extension　than　it　has　yet　had。　For　in　the　first　instance　it　seems　to　be
restricted　merely　to　the　connexion　of　a　bump　with　a　property　in　one　and　the　same　individual；　in　the
sense　that　this　individual　possesses　both。　But　phrenology　per　naturam…for　there　must　be　such　a
subject　as　well　as　a　physiognomy　per　naturam…goes　a　long　way　beyond　this　restriction。　It　does
not　merely　affirm　that　a　cunning　fellow　has　a　bump　like　a　fist　lying　behind　the　ear；　but　also　puts
forward　the　view　that；　not　the　unfaithful　wife　herself；　but　the　other　party　to　this　conjugal
transaction；　has　a　bump　on　the　brow。

In　the　same　way；　one　may　too　/imagine”　and　“conjecture”　the　man　living　under　the　same　roof
with　the　murderer；　or　even　one's　neighbour；　or；　going　still　further　afield；　“conjecture”　one's　fellow
citizens；　etc。；　with　high　bumps　on　some　part　of　the　skull；　just　as　well　as　one　might　picture　to　oneself
the　flying　cow　that　was　caressed　by　the　crab　riding　on　a　donkey；　and　afterwards；　etc。　etc；　But　of
possibility　is　taken　not　in　the　sense　of　a　possibility　of　“imagining”　and　“conjecturing”　and
“picturing”；　but　in　the　sense　of　inner　possibility；　or　possibility　of　conceiving；　then　the　object　is　a
reality　of　the　kind　which　is　a　mere　thing　and　is；　and　should　be；　depived　of　the　significance　of　reality；
and　canthus　only　have　the　sense　of　it　for　imaginative　or　figurative　thinking。

The　observer　may；　in　spite　of　the　indifference　of　the　two　sides　to　one　another；　set　to　work　to
determine　correlations；　supported　partly　by　the　general　rational　principle　that　the　outer　is　the
expres