VI. Human Individuality

The moment a percept appears in my field of observation, thinking also becomes active through me. A member of my thought-system, a definite intuition, a concept, connects itself with the percept. When, next, the percept disappears from my field of vision, what remains? My intuition, with the reference to the particular percept which it acquired in the moment of perception. The degree of vividness with which I can subsequently recall this reference depends on the manner in which my spiritual and bodily organism is working. A representation is nothing but an intuition related to a particular percept; it is a concept which was once connected with a certain percept, and which retains the reference to this percept. My concept of a lion is not constructed out of my percepts of lions; but my representation of a lion is formed according to a percept. I can convey to someone the concept of a lion without his ever having seen a lion, but I can never give him a vivid representation of it without the help of his own perception.