4. “On the Spontaneity or Self-action of the Will, as opposed to all doctrines of necessity,” by the Rev. S. Edgar. The general purport of this paper was as follows:—(1) That the will is spontaneous and self-acting, and not necessitated. (2) The will is for the organism the first cause, as the Deity is the first cause for the universe. (3)The metaphysical data, “I think,”
“I feel,” exist under all physical conditions. (4) Consciousness is distinct from, if not wholly independent of physical conditions, with reason for its guide. (5) The modern doctrine of materialism did not account for the action of the will. (6) To exclude the primal force of the will, was to strike a blow at man's responsibility for his actions. The lecturer proceeded at considerable length, to examine the opinions of Herbert Spenser, Professor Tyndall, and other eminent authorities.
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Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 13, 1880, Page 440
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143On the Spontaneity or Self-action of the Will, as opposed to all doctrines of necessity. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 13, 1880, Page 440
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