THE PROBLEM OF PERSONALITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 748, 22 August 1929, Page 8

THE PROBLEM OF PERSONALITY

Sir, — An interesting letter by *C.G.M.” opens up a new avenue in this discussion and I am pleased to have the opportunity of dealing with the question which he raises. It is that although self is obviously based upon the total activities and perceptions of the organism, combined with the capacity for memory and abstract thought, there must be •something” which unifies these elements into a sense of self. But is there any necessity to postulate an indefinable “something’* because the combination of two things produces a third with characteristics not present in its elements? Is it not in the very nature of a combination that new features should be produced? For example, a proper combination of the gases oxygen and hydrogen produces water, which is totally unlike either of its elements. On “C.G.M.’s’* reasoning we should postulate some third entity of “wetness” or “liquidity” to explain that fact. In this instance he would not take that course, since it is not scientific to introduce factors, into an hypothesis, that raise

more difficulties than they explain. Similarly with the sense of persorality. We have done all that is necessary in explaining it when we have taken account of all the factors which produce it. Since it is satisfactorily explained on the- known factors then those who would postulate an additional principle are open to give some rational description of it and some proper evidence of its existence. A.E.C.