Empirical psychology, or, The human mind as given in consciousness : for the use of colleges and academies

Preface

It is the design, in the present work, to represent the human mind as it stands in the clear light of consciousnese. We gc to our own inward experience to find the facts, both of the single mental phenomena and of their connection with each other. An Empirical Philosophy is here alone attempted, and in which we can not proceed according to the order of a pure science. The necessary and universal Ideas, which must determine all mental activity in every capacity, in order that these capacities may become iutelligible to us in their conditional laws of operation, are not now first assumed, and then carried forward to a completed system by a rigid a priori analysis and deduction in pure thought. Such a work haa already been accomplished in a thoroughly Rational Psychology. The subjective Idea which must condition and expound all Intelligence has been attained, and then the objective Law which controls all the facts of an acting

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Intelligence has been determined to be in exact accoidance. But in this work we wait upon experience altogether. We use no fact, and no combination of facta, except as they have already been attained in the common consciousness of humanity. It is rather a description of the human mind than a philosophy of it; a psycography rather than a psychology ; and should not assume for itself the prerogatives of an exact science.

Still, with this renunciation of all claim to a pure science, the attempt has been made to find the human mind as it is, and all its leading facts as they combine to make a complete whole. The aim has been to present all the constituent parts in the light of their reciprocal adaptations to each other, and to show how all depend upon each one, and that each one exists for all, and thus to give the mind through all its faculties as a living unity, complete and consistent in its own organized identity. When a system is thus matured from conscious experience, having all the symmetry and unity of the acting reality, it may be known in a qualified sense, as a philosophy, and be termed a science of mind. It in a science, as Chemistry, Geology and Botany are sciences , the study of facts in their combinations as nature gived

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khem to uSj and thus teaching what is first learned bv careful observation and experiment. It assumes not to have found those conditioning principles, -which determine that the facts must have been so ; but it may and does from its own consciousness affirm, that the facts are so.

Such a method of studying the human mind should precede that which is more purely philosophical, and thus more truly metaphysical, and is, perhaps, the only method to be attempted in an Academic or a Collegiate course. It is universally essential, as a portion of that applied discipline which is to prepare for vigorous and independent action in all public stations, and can not be dispensed with in any learned profession without detracting from both the utility and the dignity of the man. It equally applies to the full process of Female Education, and both adorns and refines while it also expands and strengthens. This empirical exercise, thus indispensable for every scholar, is also a preparative and incentive to the study of the higher Metaphysics in more advanced stages of philosophical enquiry.

The present work has been written with the eye constantly on the class for whose study it is designed, and indeed mainly while the daily instruction with my own nil PREFACE.

class was in progress, and the care has been to make it intelligible to any student of considerable maturity, who will resolutely and faithfully bring its statements to the test of his own clear consciousness. No instruction in Empirical Psychology can be given by mere verbal statement and definition, nor by attempted analogy and illustration. If the Teacher does not send the pupil to the fact as he has it in his own experience, there will be either an inadequate or an erroneous conception attained. The phenomenon within is unlike any phenomenon without, and all ingenious speculation and logical deduction will be empty and worthless without close and direct introspection. With such habits of investigation, it is fiilly believed that the following delineation of mental faculties and their operation will be readily apprehended, and consciously recognized as mainly conformed to the person's own inward experience.

Union Collsge, 1854.

Contents

■4 ♦ »■■

VA«

INTKODUCTION. — ^The Difficulties and Tendencies to

Ereor in the Study of Mind, . .13 ANTHEOPOLOGY.— The Connections of Mind and Body, 27

CHAPTER I.— General Method

1. Attain facts. ....

2. Criterion for disputed facts,

3. Classification of facts,

CHAPTER n.— General Facts op Mind, .

1. The existence of mind, .

2. Mind not phenomenal nor ideal,

3. Mind has perpetuated identity,

4. Mind is self-active, ,

5. Distinguishes itself from its objects,

CHAPTER III.— Primitive Facts of Mind

1. Sensation, ....

2. Consciousness,

FIRST DIVISION.

THE INTELLECT, CHAPTER I.— The Sense, ....

Distinguishes and defines phenomena.

SiCTioN I. — The External Sense, .

Obaervaiion, .

AUention,

. 114 . 115 » 116

CONTENTS.

Section II. — The Internal Sense, . Section IIL — The Fancy

CHAPTER IL— The Understanding, ....

Connects qualities in substance, and events in cause. Logical connections and intellectual functions. Section I. — Memory, Section II, — Conception, Section III. — ^Association, Section IV. — Abstraction, Section Y. — Reflection, Section VI. — Judgment, Section VII- — Deduction, Section VIII. — Induction, Section IX. — Imagination,

123 126

, 121

CHAPTJm IIL— The Reason, .

Afl&rms universal and necessary principles.

Section I. — Modifies other Faculties, Section II. — Insight and Comprehension, Section III. — Ideals of Absolute Perfection, Section IV. — Genius, ....

159 165 169 173

SECOND DIVISION,

Definitions. — Instinct, Appetite, Desire, Inclination, Propensity, Emotion, Passion, Obligation, AffectioiL

CHAPTER I.— The Animal Susceptibility

Section I. — The Instincts, Section II. — The Appetites, .

Section III. — The Natural Aflfections, Section IY. — Self-Interested Feelings, Section V. — Disinterested Feehngs,

CHAPTER IL — The Rational Susceptibility, Section I. — Esthetic Emotions, .

187 189 191 193 197

200 201

C O i^ IBNTS. *

PAoa

Section II. — Scientific Emotions, . . 204

Section II. — The true Conception, . . . 252 CHAPTER IL— Man has this Capacity of Will, . . 259

Argument I. — Conscious Responsibility, . . . 260 Argument II. — Distinction ofBrute and Human Will, 261

Argument III. — Man discriminates his own, . .263

Argument IY. — Reciprocal Complacency, . .265

Argument Y. — Man can resist Nature, . . .268

Argument YI. — Consciousness, . . . .270

CHAPTER in. — ^Acts op Will discriminated* from other

Acts, 216

Section I. — From simple Spontaneity, . . . 276 Section IL — Erom the impulse of Appetite, . . 278

Section III. — From Desire, 280 Section IY. — ^From the Spiritual Affections, . 282

OflAPTER IY. — The Classification of the Acts of the

Section I. — Immanent Preference, . . . 284 Section II. — Groverning Purpose, . . . .286 Section in.—Desultory Yohtion, . .289

Sn CONTENTS.

FOURTH DIVISION.

MIND COMPETENT TO ATTAIN ITS END, . 293 What the end of the human mind is; and that it is now lost.

CHAPTER I. — The True CJon'ception of Powbb oq Ciuse, 300

Section L — Fallaxjious TheorieB, .... 305 Section II. — The true Conception, . . .313 Section III. — Classification of Vari^Uo*. . .316

CHAPTER IL— The Grounds of Certainty, . . .322

Section L — Negative of all Ground : Chance,

Fate, 32'

Section II. — ^Positive Ground : Necessity, . . 32"^ Section III. — Possible Ground : Contingency, , 3L^ Section IV. — Different Apphcations of Certainty, 338

CHAPTER nx — Natural and Moral Inability, . . . 342

Section I. — Natural Inability in Necessity, . . 344 Section II. — Moral Inability in Self-hindrance, . 350 Section III. — Cases where often confounded, . 359

CHAPTER lY. — The Human Mind as an Agent, . . 367

Section I. — ^Man acts as the Animal, . . . 368 Section II. — Man acta as Rational, . . .381 Section III. — As both Animal and Rational in one, 372 SEcfiON lY. — Objections to Liberty answered, . 378

CHi PTER Y. — The Competency and Impotexgy of the

Human Mind, . . • . . 386

Section L — Man's Natural Competency to gain

his end, 388

Section IL — ^Man's Moral Impotency to jain big