lecture09-第2章

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habits　are　replaced　by　the　habits　of　a　son　of　nature；　and　those



who　knew　the　man　only　as　the　strenuous　magistrate　would　not　〃know



him　for　the　same　person〃　if　they　saw　him　as　the　camper。







If　now　he　should　never　go　back；　and　never　again　suffer　political



interests　to　gain　dominion　over　him；　he　would　be　for　practical



intents　and　purposes　a　permanently　transformed　being。　　Our



ordinary　alterations　of　character；　as　we　pass　from　one　of　our



aims　to　another；　are　not　commonly　called　transformations；　because



each　of　them　is　so　rapidly　succeeded　by　another　in　the　reverse



direction；　but　whenever　one　aim　grows　so　stable　as　to　expel



definitively　its　previous　rivals　from　the　individual's　life；　we



tend　to　speak　of　the　phenomenon；　and　perhaps　to　wonder　at　it；　as



a　〃transformation。〃







These　alternations　are　the　completest　of　the　ways　in　which　a　self



may　be　divided。　　A　less　complete　way　is　the　simultaneous



coexistence　of　two　or　more　different　groups　of　aims；　of　which　one



practically　holds　the　right　of　way　and　instigates　activity；



whilst　the　others　are　only　pious　wishes；　and　never　practically



come　to　anything。　　Saint　Augustine's　aspirations　to　a　purer　life；



in　our　last　lecture；　were　for　a　while　an　example。　　Another　would



be　the　President　in　his　full　pride　of　office；　wondering　whether



it　were　not　all　vanity；　and　whether　the　life　of　a　wood…chopper



were　not　the　wholesomer　destiny。　　Such　fleeting　aspirations　are



mere　velleitates；　whimsies。　　They　exist　on　the　remoter　outskirts



of　the　mind；　and　the　real　self　of　the　man；　the　centre　of　his



energies；　is　occupied　with　an　entirely　different　system。　　As　life



goes　on；　there　is　a　constant　change　of　our　interests；　and　a



consequent　change　of　place　in　our　systems　of　ideas；　from　more



central　to　more　peripheral；　and　from　more　peripheral　to　more



central　parts　of　consciousness。　　I　remember；　for　instance；　that



one　evening　when　I　was　a　youth；　my　father　read　aloud　from　a



Boston　newspaper　that　part　of　Lord　Gifford's　will　which　founded



these　four　lectureships。　　At　that　time　I　did　not　think　of　being　a



teacher　of　philosophy；　and　what　I　listened　to　was　as　remote　from



my　own　life　as　if　it　related　to　the　planet　Mars。　　Yet　here　I　am；



with　the　Gifford　system　part　and　parcel　of　my　very　self；　and　all



my　energies；　for　the　time　being；　devoted　to　successfully



identifying　myself　with　it。　　My　soul　stands　now　planted　in　what



once　was　for　it　a　practically　unreal　object；　and　speaks　from　it



as　from　its　proper　habitat　and　centre。







When　I　say　〃Soul；〃　you　need　not　take　me　in　the　ontological　sense



unless　you　prefer　to；　for　although　ontological　language　is



instinctive　in　such　matters；　yet　Buddhists　or　Humians　can



perfectly　well　describe　the　facts　in　the　phenomenal　terms　which



are　their　favorites。　　For　them　the　soul　is　only　a　succession　of



fields　of　consciousness：　　yet　there　is　found　in　each　field　a



part；　or　sub…field；　which　figures　as　focal　and　contains　the



excitement；　and　from　which；　as　from　a　centre；　the　aim　seems　to　be



taken。　　Talking　of　this　part；　we　involuntarily　apply　words　of



perspective　to　distinguish　it　from　the　rest；　words　like　〃here；〃



〃this；〃　〃now；〃　〃mine；〃　or　〃me〃；　and　we　ascribe　to　the　other　parts



the　positions　〃there；〃　〃then；〃　〃that；〃　〃his〃　or　〃thine；〃　〃it；〃



〃not　me。〃　　But　a　〃here〃　can　change　to　a　〃there；〃　and　a　〃there〃



become　a　〃here；〃　and　what　was　〃mine〃　and　what　was　〃not　mine〃



change　their　places。







What　brings　such　changes　about　is　the　way　in　which　emotional



excitement　alters。　　Things　hot　and　vital　to　us　to…day　are　cold



to…morrow。　　It　is　as　if　seen　from　the　hot　parts　of　the　field　that



the　other　parts　appear　to　us；　and　from　these　hot　parts　personal



desire　and　volition　make　their　sallies。　　They　are　in　short　the



centres　of　our　dynamic　energy；　whereas　the　cold　parts　leave　us



indifferent　and　passive　in　proportion　to　their　coldness。







Whether　such　language　be　rigorously　exact　is　for　the　present　of



no　importance。　　It　is　exact　enough；　if　you　recognize　from　your



own　experience　the　facts　which　I　seek　to　designate　by　it。







Now　there　may　be　great　oscillation　in　the　emotional　interest；　and



the　hot　places　may　shift　before　one　almost　as　rapidly　as　the



sparks　that　run　through　burnt…up　paper。　　Then　we　have　the



wavering　and　divided　self　we　heard　so　much　of　in　the　previous



lecture。　　Or　the　focus　of　excitement　and　heat；　the　point　of　view



from　which　the　aim　is　taken；　may　come　to　lie　permanently　within　a



certain　system；　and　then；　if　the　change　be　a　religious　one；　we



call　it　a　CONVERSION；　especially　if　it　be　by　crisis；　or　sudden。







Let　us　hereafter；　in　speaking　of　the　hot　place　in　a　man's



consciousness；　the　group　of　ideas　to　which　he　devotes　himself；



and　from　which　he　works；　call　it　THE　HABITUAL　CENTRE　OF　HIS



PERSONAL　ENERGY。　　It　makes　a　great　difference　to　a　man　whether



one　set　of　his　ideas；　or　another；　be　the　centre　of　his　energy；



and　it　makes　a　great　difference；　as　regards　any　set　of　ideas



which　he　may　possess；　whether　they　become　central　or　remain



peripheral　in　him。　　To　say　that　a　man　is　〃converted〃　means；　in



these　terms；　that　religious　ideas；　previously　peripheral　in　his



consciousness；　now　take　a　central　place；　and　that　religious　aims



form　the　habitual　centre　of　his　energy。







Now　if　you　ask　of　psychology　just　HOW　the　excitement　shifts　in　a



man's　mental　system；　and　WHY　aims　that　were　peripheral　become　at



a　certain　moment　central；　psychology　has　to　reply　that　although



she　can　give　a　general　description　of　what　happens；　she　is　unable



in　a　given　case　to　account　accurately　for　all　the　single　forces



at　work。　　Neither　an　outside　observer　nor　the　Subject　who



undergoes　the　process　can　explain　fully　how　particular



experiences　are　able　to　change　one's　centre　of　energy　so



decisively；　or　why　they　so　often　have　to　bide　their　hour　to　do



so。　　We　have　a　thought；　or　we　perform　an　act；　repeatedly；　but　on



a　certain　day　the　real　meaning　of　the　thought　peals　through　us



for　the　first　time；　or　the　act　has　suddenly　turned　into　a　moral



impossibility。　　All　we　know　is　that　there　are　dead　feelings；　dead



ideas；　and　cold　beliefs；　and　there　are　hot　and　live　ones；　and



when　one　grows　hot　and　alive　within　us；　everything　has　to



re…crystallize　about　it。　　We　may　say　that　the　heat　and　liveliness



mean　only　the　〃motor　efficacy；〃　long　deferred　but　now　operative；



of　the　idea；　but　such　talk　itself　is　only　circumlocution；　for



whence　the　sudden　motor　efficacy？　　And　our　explanations　then　get



so　vague　and　general　that　one　realizes　all　the　more　the　intense



individuality　of　the　whole　phenomenon。







In　the　end　we　fall　back　on　the　hackneyed　symbolism　of　a



mechanical　equilibrium。　　A　mind　is　a　system　of　ideas；　each　with



the　excitement　it　arouses；　and　with　tendencies　impulsive　and



inhibitive；　which　mutually　check　or　reinforce　one　another。　　The



collection　of　ideas　alters　by　subtraction　or　by　addition　in　the



course　of　experience；　and　the　tendencies　alter　as　the　organism



gets　more　aged。　　A　mental　system　may　be　undermined　or　weakened　by



this　interstitial　alteration　just　as　a　building　is；　and　yet　for　a



time　keep　upright　by　dead　habit。　　But　a　new　perception；　a　sudden



emotional　shock；　or　an　occasion　which　lays　bare　the　organic



alteration；　will　make　the　whole　fabric　fall　together；　and　then



the　centre　of　gravity　sinks　into　an　attitude　more　stable；　for　the



new　ideas　that　reach　the　centre　in　the　rearrangement　seem　now　to



be　locked　there；　and　the　new　structure　remains　permanent。







Formed　associations　of　ideas　and　habits　are　usually　factors　of



retardation　in　such　changes　of　equilibrium。　　New　information；



however　acquired；　plays　an　accelerating　part　in　the　changes；　and



the　slow　mutation　of　our　instincts　and　propensities；　under　the



〃unimaginable　touch　of　time〃　has　an　enormous　influence。　



Moreover；　all　these　influences　may　work　subconsciously　or　half



unconsciously。＇99＇　And　when　you　get　a　Subject　in　whom　the



subconscious　lifeof　which　I　must　speak　more　fully　soonis



largely　developed；　and　in　whom　motives　habitually　ripen　in



silence；　you　get　a　case　of　which　you　can　never　give　a　full



account；　and　in　which；　both　to　the　Subject　and　the　onlookers；



there　may　appear　an　element　of　marvel。　　Emotional　occasions；



especially　violent　ones；　are　extremely　potent　in　precipitating



mental　rearrangements。　　The　sudden　and　explosive　ways　in　which



love；　jealousy；　guilt；　fear；　remorse；　or　anger　can　seize　upon　one



are　known　to　everybody。＇100＇　　Hope；　happiness；　security；　resolve；



emotions　characteristic　of　conversion；　can　be　equally　explosive。　



And　emotions　that　come　in　this　explosive　way　seldom　leave　things



as　they　found　them。







＇99＇　Jouffroy　is　an　example：　　〃Down　this　slope　it　was　that　my



intelligence　had　glided；　and　little　by　little　it　had　got　far　from



its　first　faith。　　But　this　melancholy　revolution　had　not　taken



place　in　the　broad　daylight　of　my　consciousness；　too　many



scruples；　too　many　guides　and　sacred　affections　had　made　it



dreadful　to　me；　so　that　I　was　far　from　avowing　to　myself　the



progress　it　had　made。　　It　had　gone　on　in　silence；　by　an



involuntary　elaboration　of　which　I　was　not　the　accomplice；　and



although　I　had　in　reality　long　ceased　to　be　a　Christian；　yet；　in



the　innocence　of　my　intention；　I　should　have　shuddered　to　suspect



it；　and　thought　it　calumny　had　I　been　accused　of　such　a　falling



away。〃　　Then　follows　Jouffroy's　account　of　his



counter…conversion；　quoted　above　on　p。　173。







＇100＇　One　hardly　needs　examples；　but　for　love；　see　p。　176；　note；



for　fear；　p。　161　；　for　remorse；　see　Othello　after　the　murder；



for　anger　see　Lear　after　Cordelia's　first　speech　to　him；　for



resolve；　see　p。　175　（J。　Foster　case）。　　Here　is　a　pathological



case　in　which　GUILT　was　the　feeling　that　suddenly　exploded：　　〃One



night　I　was　seized　on　entering　bed　with　a　rigor；　such　as



Swedenborg　describes　as　coming　over　him　with　a　sense　of　holiness；



but　over　me　with　a　sense　of　GUILT。　During　that　whole　night　I　lay



under　the　influence　of　the　rigor；　and　from　its　inception　I　felt



that　I　was　under　the　curse　of　God。　　I　have　never　done　one　act　of



duty　in　my　lifesins　against　God　and　man　beginning　as　far　as　my



memory　goes　backa　wildcat　in　human　shape。〃















In　his　recent　work　on　the　Psychology　of　Religion；　Professor



Starbuck　of　California　has　shown　by　a　statistical　inquiry　how