LANGUAGE AND SCIENCE 203

We have said that the idea of '' being " or " existence " can

be expressed by gesture, and also that the copula is

habitually implied and latent in gesture-language. But its

existence is, of course, no less effectively real because it is

thus latent. In every gesture statement, as in every orally

expressed proposition, the predication of existence is most

important. Its importance has been disputed on the ground

that " merely to say a thing is, is to form the most barren

(least significant) judgment about it." Now, of course, it is

manifest that so to affirm is to give the minimum of informa-

tion about any object ; but though it tells us little as regards

extent of information, it yet tells us a truth of the most

profound and intensely important kind. The reader will

readily appreciate how much more important to him is his

" existence " than a variety of other properties with which he

would be much less unwilling to part.

Having, we trust, to our reader's satisfaction, shown the

essential rationality which may be possessed by deaf-mutes,

we will next point out what we regard as the essential,

though latent, intellectuality of infants. We contend that

evidence shows intellect to be potentially present, i.e., that

the normal conditions being supplied, it will infallibly

come to show itself as actually present. On the other

hand, no evidence plainly indicates that it is potentially

present in brutes, and that changes of mere environment

can make it actual. We are, as we said before, perfectly

willing to recognize the intellectuality of animals as soon

as we can obtain any evidence thereof. All evidence we

have been able to obtain, however, points, we think, the

other way.

But Professor Romanes seemed extraordinarily blind to

the intellectuality of even his own children. Thus we read*

that a daughter of his, aged rather more than eighteen

* Op. tit., p. 2 1 8.

We have said that the idea of '' being " or " existence " can

be expressed by gesture, and also that the copula is

habitually implied and latent in gesture-language. But its

existence is, of course, no less effectively real because it is

thus latent. In every gesture statement, as in every orally

expressed proposition, the predication of existence is most

important. Its importance has been disputed on the ground

that " merely to say a thing is, is to form the most barren

(least significant) judgment about it." Now, of course, it is

manifest that so to affirm is to give the minimum of informa-

tion about any object ; but though it tells us little as regards

extent of information, it yet tells us a truth of the most

profound and intensely important kind. The reader will

readily appreciate how much more important to him is his

" existence " than a variety of other properties with which he

would be much less unwilling to part.

Having, we trust, to our reader's satisfaction, shown the

essential rationality which may be possessed by deaf-mutes,

we will next point out what we regard as the essential,

though latent, intellectuality of infants. We contend that

evidence shows intellect to be potentially present, i.e., that

the normal conditions being supplied, it will infallibly

come to show itself as actually present. On the other

hand, no evidence plainly indicates that it is potentially

present in brutes, and that changes of mere environment

can make it actual. We are, as we said before, perfectly

willing to recognize the intellectuality of animals as soon

as we can obtain any evidence thereof. All evidence we

have been able to obtain, however, points, we think, the

other way.

But Professor Romanes seemed extraordinarily blind to

the intellectuality of even his own children. Thus we read*

that a daughter of his, aged rather more than eighteen

* Op. tit., p. 2 1 8.