Dr. James Mark Baldwin, Stuart Professor of Psychology in Princeton
University, U.S.A., called attention early in the 90's to a reaction
characteristic of all living beings, which he terms the "Circular
Reaction." We take his most recent account of this from his
"Development and Evolution" (1902):- {0h}


"The general fact is that the organism reacts by concentration upon
the locality stimulated for the CONTINUANCE of the conditions,
movements, stimulations, WHICH ARE VITALLY BENEFICIAL, and for the
cessation of the conditions, movements, stimulations WHICH ARE
VITALLY DEPRESSING."


This amounts to saying in the terminology of Jenning (see below) that
the living organism alters its "physiological states" either for its
direct benefit, or for its indirect benefit in the reduction of
harmful conditions.

Again:-


"This form of concentration of energy on stimulated localities, with
the resulting renewal through movement of conditions that are
pleasure-giving and beneficial, and the consequent repetition of the
movements is called 'circular reaction.'"


Of course, the inhibition of such movements as would be painful on