Health, plenitude of life, generosity, nobleness, and heroism dwell in the thorax.
3597. But besides these virtues the spirit of the thorax is also that of smell. Insects have an excellent sense of smell, the spirit of which is cunningness and treachery, wherein no animal will easily surpass them.
3598. The Insect has moreover a spirit of motion or versatility of the tactile sense, which is displayed in the representation of symmetrical figures. This faculty proceeds especially from the creative sexual functions—as mechanical or artistic instinct.
All spirit of motion launches out into mechanical instinct. It disappears in all classes of animals, which chiefly correspond to the sex and belly, as, e. g. in Fishes and Reptiles. On the other hand, in the moveable thoracic animals or Birds, the mechanical instincts at once re-appear.
Mechanical instinct and dexterity of limbs run parallel together.
The dexterity of the limbs taken up into the spirit is an art-sense.
B. FUNCTIONS OF THE CEPHALOZOA.
3599. Here the head is for the first time placed in a perfect condition, and hence an antagonism arises for the first time between head and trunk.
The Cephalozoon no longer distinguishes nature and self only like the acephalous and amnemonic animals; but it distinguishes even its body from its head, because the Fish has begun to be a double animal.
3600. The Cephalozoon hath consciousness; consciousness of its condition, of its body, but not of its head and the operations therein. It has no self-consciousness.