GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

THE PROBLEM STATED '
man working for an examination. Resisting the attrao
ions of dancing, playing games, or going to the cinema,.
ie sits at his table reading and making notes. Now it is,
f course, possible to explain such behaviour mechanistic'*
lly, in terms, that is to say, of some cause which is, as it
fere, pushing the student from behind into his studious
ctivity. Possible, but difficult; for it is hard to see what
Tccisely the pre-existing stimuli, in the light of a response
o which his activity is to be regarded, can be. The most
tlausible account that we can give of what he is doing is
o attribute it not to a push from behind but to a pull
ram in front. What pulls him and, because it pulls him,
auses him to do what he does, is the examination, the
bought of passing which, although it is a thought of
omething which does not yet exist in the physical world,
icverthelcss determines his present activity. To use the
erm most applicable to his conduct, we should say that
ds motive is "to get through" his examination. Now
active implies a goal or end not yet present which the
,ctivity motivated seeks to realize. Hence, a teleological
xplanation is one which regards activity as being deterallied
by goals or ends which have still to be realized.
Inclusions as to the Nature of Man. We are now
n a position to draw some conclusions in regard to the
[uestion from which the foregoing discussion took its rise,
vhat is the essential nature of man? In introducing this
[uestion, I mentioned Socrates's turning away from
>hysical to what we should now call psychological studies,
ie looked, we are told, to the soul of man for a key to
he explanation of things. In the light of the preceding dis-
.ussion, the significance of this statement will be apparent,
n the first place, it is not enough, Socrates would say,
vhen you are giving an account of the behaviour of
tuman beings, to seek for your explanation in the prexisting
stimuli to which their bodies respond. You must
Jso look to the goals, not yet reached, which they are
eeking to achieve. Thus you will interpret idealism and
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