The Sensibilities

 

         The Sensibilities are the powers by which we feel. The product of the Sensibilities, i.e. the forms of feelings, are emotions. The Sensibilities constitute that part of the mind in which we find the emotional nature of man. They are the source of the joys and sorrows of life; of its pleasures and disappointments, its happiness and its misery.

         Relation to the Intellect. The relation of the sensibilities to the intellect is clear. An act of the sensibilities is usually preceded by an act of the intellect. There must first be a cognition, an idea in the intellect, before there can be an emotion in the sensibilities. Thus when we love we must love something, when we desire something there must be some object towards which our desires go out; and these objects must have been previously cognized by the intellect. Even when an act of the sensibilities seems not to have a distinct object, the genesis of that act can be traced back to particular objects cognized by the intellect. For example, a general feeling of hero-worshipping can be traced back to the admiration of particular heroes.

         Intellect and Emotion. The strength of feeling is usually proportioned to the strength of intellect. When the cognition of the intellect is deep and vivid, the feeling arising will also be strong and vivid. The man of a strong and vigorous intellect will usually have strong and deep feelings. The great orators were not only profound reasoners, but they put an enthusiasm and strength of sentiment into their thoughts that moved the hearts of their listeners and produced conviction. The great leaders of mankind have usually been men of broad minds, strong wills, and deep feelings.

         Classification of Sensibilities. The forms of feelings can be divided into three classes; the Simple Emotions, the Affections, and the Desires. The Simple Emotions are the source of the joys and sorrows of life; the Affections are feelings which go out to an object with the wish of good or ill to it; the Desires are feelings that go out to an object with the wish of its possession or the reverse. The principle of this classification is stated in the expressions -I enjoy, I love, I desire; with the opposite feelings, I suffer, I hate, I feel aversion. 

         The Simple Emotions.  The Simple Emotions are simple feelings which spring up in the mind in view of certain cognitions. Their general characteristics are expressed by the terms joy and sorrow. They are purely subjective in their nature, not going out towards any subject, but simply giving pleasure or pain to the person who experiences them.

         The simple emotions are divided into two general classes; the Instinctive and the Rational.

         The Instinctive Emotions are those which spring up out of the general condition of the mind, either with or without some exciting cause. They are independent of any cognition of the reason, and thus belong to our lower nature, some of them being shared by brute animals. The principal feelings of joy of this class are Cheerfulness and its opposite, Melancholy, Pleasure of Companionship and its opposite, Sorrow at the Loss of Friends, and Sympathy with the Happiness or Sorrow of others.

         The Rational Emotions are those that are awakened in response to a rational cognition. They are feelings that arise from the ideas of intuition. Thus, when I cognize beauty, I experience a feeling of enjoyment; and so when I have an idea of the right, there is a corresponding feeling of obligation awakened in the soul. The principal rational emotions are the Egoistic, The Esthetic, and the Ethical. The Egoistic Emotions are those of Pride (ranging from pride proper, to vanity, conceit, and haughtiness) and its opposite, Humility. The principal Esthetic Emotions are Novelty and its opposite, Ennui, Wonder (ranging from simple wonder, to a high degree of wonder, astonishment, and to a very high degree of astonishment, amazement), Beauty, Sublimity, and Ludicrous. The principal Ethical Emotions are Obligation, Satisfaction at the duty performed and its opposite, Remorse from duty neglected, and Approval and Censure in respect to the actions of others.

         The Affections. The Affections are feelings that go out towards an object with a wish of good or ill to the object. They differ from the simple emotions in that these feelings not only move the mind to joy or sorrow, but they flow out to and focus upon something objective to the mind. They are therefore complex in their nature, involving a subjective and an objective element.

         The Affections are divided into two general classes; the Benevolent and Malevolent Affections.

         The Benevolent Affections (bene, well, and volo, I wish) are those which go out to an object with a feeling of good will towards it. The most important of them are the Love of Kindred, the Love of Friends (Friendship), the Love of Benefactors (Gratitude), the Love of Country (Patriotism), the Love of the Human Race (Philanthropy), and the Love of Heroes (Hero-worship).

         The Malevolent Affections (male, ill, and volo, I wish) are those which go out with a feeling of ill will towards the object on which they rest. They are the opposite of the Benevolent Affections in that as the benevolent ones are so many forms of love, the malevolent ones are so many forms of hate. Each of the benevolent affections may have its corresponding malevolent affection. There are more specific forms, however, which have received special names, such as Resentment, Envy, Jealousy, and Revenge.

         The Desires. The desires are feelings which flow out to an object with a wish of possessing the object. The feeling of desire is a complex one, seeming to possess a threefold element. First, there is a simple feeling, pleasant or unpleasant; second, this feeling becomes objective, goes out to an object; and then there is a wish to bring this object to ourselves, in a desire proper, or a wish to push it away from ourselves, as in aversion.

         The desires are of two general classes, those growing out of the physical nature and those founded on the nature of the mind. The former are called Animal Desires, the latter the Rational Desires.

         The Animal Desires are those which spring from the physical constitution of man. The principal animal desires are those of Food, of Stimulant (induced by the addiction to narcotics or other stimulants), of Physical Activity, of Repose, and of Sex.

         The Rational Desires are those which spring entirely out of our mental constitution. Their basis is not the body but the mind; not physical pleasure but mental enjoyment. The principal of these are the Desire of Happiness, of Society, of Wealth, of Power, of Esteem, of Knowledge, and a peculiar form of desire and aversion called Hope and Fear (desire of some expected good and aversion of some anticipated evil).