"'The brain secretes thought, as the kidneys secrete urine, or as the liver secretes bile,' are phrases which one sometimes hears."
— James, William (1842-1910)
Author
Work Title
Date
1890
Metaphor
"'The brain secretes thought, as the kidneys secrete urine, or as the liver secretes bile,' are phrases which one sometimes hears."
Metaphor in Context
The phosphorous-philosophers have often compared thought to a secretion. "The brain secretes thought, as the kidneys secrete urine, or as the liver secretes bile," are phrases which one sometimes hears. The lame analogy need hardly be pointed out. The materials which the brain pours into the blood (cholesterin, creatin, xanthin, or whatever they may be) are the analogues of the urine and the bile, being in fact real material excreta. As far as these matters go, the brain is a ductless gland. But we know of nothing connected with liver-and kidney-activity which can [p.103] be in the remotest degree compared with the stream of thought that accompanies the brain's material secretions.
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
James, William. Principles of Psychology. 2 vols. <Link to Christopher D. Green's online edition at York>
See also James, W. The Principles of Psychology (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1983).
See also James, W. The Principles of Psychology (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1983).
Date of Entry
07/02/2010
