ABSTRACT
It is a common saying that but few people think. Well, that depends—from the standpoint of the position taken in this book, thought is a common possession of all men, and is even shared by them with other of the higher animals. The possession of a brain implies certain mental processes, and these, in turn, imply thought. All will concede, for example, that animals have memory; but thought, I shall claim, is a mere elaboration of memory; it is memory glorified by rich associations, as I believe I can show. Physiologically, thought may be conceived of as a flowing of the nerve force into available brain patterns; and its possibility therefore depends upon the existence of these patterns. The value of thought is, of course, another matter. When we come to consider values then we have to take into account the degree of development and also the matter of thought symbols. Thought, to be perfected, must find an expression, and language is one of its main elements.
