Elements of Criticism, Volume II.Kames, Henry Home, Lord
Philosophy
Elements of Criticism, Volume II.
Kames, Henry Home, Lord
Criticism; Literary style
The reasons are assigned above, why the causes of intense pleasure
become not readily habitual. But now I must observe, that these reasons
conclude only against specific habits. With regard to any particular
object that is the cause of a weak pleasure, a habit is formed by
frequency and uniformity of reiteration, which in the case of an intense
pleasure cannot obtain without satiety and disgust. But it is
remarkable, that satiety and disgust have no effect, except as to that
thing which occasions them. A surfeit of honey produceth not a loathing
of sugar; and intemperance with one woman, produceth no disrelish of the
same pleasure with others. Hence it is easy to account for a generic
habit in any strong pleasure. The disgust of intemperance, is confined
to the object by which it is produced. The delight we had in the
gratification of the appetite, inflames the imagination, and makes us,
with avidity, search for the same gratification in whatever other object
it can be found. And thus frequency and uniformity in gratifying the
same passion upon different objects, produceth at the longrun a habit.
In this manner, a man acquires an habitual delight in high and poignant
sauces, rich dress, fine equipage, crowds of company, and in whatever is
commonly termed _pleasure_. There concurs at the same time to introduce
this habit, a peculiarity observed above, that reiteration of acts
enlarges the capacity of the mind, to admit a more plentiful
gratification than originally, with regard to frequency as well as
quantity.
Hence it appears, that though a specific habit can only take place in
the case of a moderate pleasure, yet that a generic habit may be formed
with respect to every sort of pleasure, moderate or immoderate, that can
be gratified by a variety of objects indifferently. The only difference
is, that any particular object which causes a weak pleasure, runs
naturally into a specific habit; whereas a particular object that causes
an intense pleasure, is altogether incapable of such a habit. In a word,
it is but in singular cases that a moderate pleasure produces a generic
habit: an intense pleasure, on the other hand, cannot produce any other
habit.
The appetites that respect the preservation and propagation of the
species, are formed into habit in a peculiar manner. The time as well as
measure of their gratification, are much under the power of custom;
which, by introducing a change upon the body, occasions a proportional
change in the appetites. Thus, if the body be gradually formed to a
certain quantity of food at regular times, the appetite is regulated
accordingly; and the appetite is again changed when a different habit of
body is introduced by a different practice. Here it would seem, that the
change is not made upon the mind, which is commonly the case in passive
habits, but only upon the body.
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