There then follows a consideration of some general or nonspecific innate
tendencies or pseudo-instincts which are not specific instincts with special
accompanying emotions, and this leads to the analysis of sympathy or the
sympathetic induction of emotion, suggestion and suggestibility, imitation,
play, habit, disposition and temperament.
The sentiments are now taken up for analysis and definition. A sentiment,
according to McDougall, who accepts Shand's definition, is an organized
system of emotional tendencies or dispositions centred about the idea of
some object. Among the complex emotions not necessarily implying the
existence of sentiments McDougall includes admiration, awe and reverence,
gratitude, scorn, contempt and loathing, and envy. Among the complex
emotions implying the existence of sentiments he considers reproach,
anxiety, jealousy, vengeful emotion, resentment, shame, joy, sorrow and
pity, happiness, surprise. The nature and the constitution of the sentiments
and the complex emotions comes in for very illuminating analysis. The
chapters on the growth of self-consciousness and of the self-regarding
sentiment, the advance to the higher plane of social conduct, and volition
are to be considered among the best chapters of this very excellent work.
The discussion and analysis is very penetrating and clear. It is well worth
while presenting the following abstract of the chapter on volition: All
impulses, desires and aversions, motives or conations are of one of two
classes: (1) from the excitement of some innate disposition or instinct; and
(2) from excitement of dispositions acquired during the life of the
individual by differentiation from the innate dispositions, under the
guidance of pleasure and pain. When in the conflict of two motives the will
is thrown on the side of one of them and we make a volitional decision, we
in some way add to the energy with which the idea of the one desired end
maintains itself in opposition to its rival. The idea of the self, or
self-consciousness, is able to play its great role in volition only in
virtue of the self-regarding sentiment. The conations, the desires and
aversions, arising within this self-regarding sentiment are the motive
forces which, adding themselves to the weaker ideal motive in the case of
moral effort, enable it to win the mastery over some stronger, coarser
desire of our primitive animal nature and to banish from consciousness the
idea of the end of this desire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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