Psychoide

PSYCHOIDE (Psychoide), a term proposed by Bleuler to denote a rudimentary form of the psyche. This rudimentary form of the psyche, in Bleuler's opinion, is characteristic of all organic life, regardless of whether the latter occurs in nervous or any other tissue. Proceeding from the premise that the mechanisms underlying general biological and physiological processes, on the one hand, and psychic functions, on the other, can be viewed from a single point of view, Bleuler considers it possible to subsume their characteristic reactions under a single concept (like light and electromagnetic oscillations). The difference between the psychic and the biological is determined, in Bleuler's opinion, only by the method of observation—from within and from without. He sees in organic life a whole series of stages forming a kind of sliding scale of peculiar specialization, at the upper end of which are developed psychic functions, and at the bottom a psycho-like "somatic soul." The psyche thus represents only a specialized branch of the psychoide. The hypothesis of the psychoide was put forward by Bleuler in 1925. Its metaphysical and vitalistic character, on the one hand, and mechanism, on the other, are clearly manifested in a number of Bleuler's constructions. One should especially emphasize the vitalistic character of his explanation of the expediency of the structure of mechanisms. It is, in his opinion, oriented toward a specific functional plan (a "life formula"), which indicates to each part of the organism its role in the whole. This role varies depending on the general state of the organism and the state of all its individual parts. The integration of individual functions into a single functional whole is conditioned by their hierarchical structure and a special "communication service," built on the mutual attunement of the cells and tissues of the organism to specific combinations of mutual influences (molecular oscillations, etc.). Such mutual attunement is possible only if cells possess functions analogous to perception, imprinting, and the storage of traces of impressions, as well as abstraction. Bleuler considers it necessary to apply the same point of view to the development of species, whereby the Darwinian principle must be modified in the spirit of a peculiar neo-Lamarckism flowing from the stated thoughts: a unified, purposeful development of a species is possible only if the experience of the successive "psychoide" of the species is taken into account and utilized, consequently, with the mandatory application of the idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. Regarding these statements by Bleuler, one of the frequent, though by no means following from the author's fundamental position, propositions should be considered relatively valuable: that rudimentary forms of psychic life do not necessarily have to be functions of differentiated nervous tissue. Bleuler's theory of the psychoide as a whole does not differ in any way from other modern neo-vitalistic systems (Driesch, Uexküll, Nuel, and others), to the point that the very name "psychoide" is almost identical to the term proposed even earlier than Bleuler by Driesch ("psychoide"), although Bleuler tries, albeit unsuccessfully, to dissociate himself from the latter (see Vitalism). This theory of the psychoide is based on the long-known "panpsychism," which in the philosophy of modern imperialism has received the conditions for its flourishing.