PHASES OF THOUGHT
We have seen that the Mind is that something within us which Thinks,
Feels and Wills. There are various phases of these three forms of
activity. These phases have often been called "the faculties of the
mind," although many authorities decry the use of this term, holding
that it gives an impression of _several parts or divisions_ of the mind,
separate and distinct from each other, whereas these phases are merely
the several _powers or forms of activity_ of the Mind. Every
manifestation of mental activity falls under one of the three
before-mentioned general forms, i.e., Thinking, Feeling and Willing,
respectively. Every manifestation of mental activity is either that of
the Intellect, the Feelings, or the Will. Let us consider the first of
these three general forms of mental activity--the Intellect.
The _Intellect_ is defined as: "That faculty or phase of the human mind
by which it receives or comprehends the ideas communicated to it by the
senses or by perception, or other means, as distinguished from the power
to feel and to will; the power or faculty to perceive objects in their
relations; the power to judge and comprehend; also the capacity for
higher forms of knowledge as distinguished from the power to perceive
and imagine." The term itself is derived from the Latin term
_intellectus_, the primary meaning of which is "to choose between,"
which primary meaning will give the true essential meaning of the term
in its present usage; namely, the faculty or phase of the mind by which
we "choose between" things or by which we _decide_.
The phase or faculty of Intellect concerns itself with Thinking, in the
particular and narrower sense of that term. Its products are _thoughts_,
_mental images_ and _ideas_. An _idea_ or _mental image_ is a mental
conception of anything, as for instance our conception which we express
by the terms, _man_, _animal_, _house_, _etc._ Sometimes the word _idea_
is used to express merely the abstract or generalized conception of the
thing, as, for instance, _Man_ in the sense of "all men;" while _mental
image_ is used in the sense of the mental conception of some one
particular thing, as a "_a man_;" it being held that no mental image can
be had of a generalization. A _thought_ is held to be a mental product
arising from a combination of two or more ideas or mental images, as for
instance: "A horse is an animal;" "a man is a biped;" etc.
The Intellect is held to embrace and include a number of minor phases or
faculties, such as Perception, Understanding, Imagination, Memory,
Reason and Intuition, which are explained as follows:
_Perception_ is that faculty of the Mind which interprets the material
presented to it by the senses. It is the power whereby we gain our
knowledge of the external world, as reported to us by the channels of
sense. Through Perception we are able to form ideas and mental images,
which in turn lead to thoughts. The objects of which we become conscious
through Perception are called _percepts_, which form the bases of what
we call _concepts_, or ideas.
_Understanding_ is that faculty of the Mind by the means of which we are
able intelligently to compare the objects presented to it by Perception,
and by which we separate them into parts by analysis, or to combine
them into greater classes, or wholes, by synthesis. It produces ideas,
both abstract and general; also concepts of truths, laws, principles,
causes, etc. There are several sub-phases of Understanding, which are
known as: Abstraction, Conception or Generalization, or Judgment and
Reasoning, respectively, which are explained as follows:
_Abstraction_ is that faculty of the Mind which enables it to abstract,
or draw off, and consider apart from an object, a particular _quality_
or _property_ of an object, thus making of the quality or property a
distinct object of thought apart from the original object. Thus are the
_abstract ideas_ of _sweetness_, _color_, _hardness_, _courage_,
_beauty_, etc., which we have abstracted or _drawn off_ from their
original associations, either for the purpose of putting them out of
sight and consideration, or else to view and consider them by
themselves. No one ever tasted "sweetness" although one may have tasted
_sweet things_; no one ever saw "red," although one may have seen _red
things_; no one ever saw, heard, tasted or felt "courage" in another,
although one may have seen _courageous people_. Abstract ideas are
merely the mental conception of _qualities_ or _properties_ divorced
from their associated objects by Abstraction.
_Conception_ or Generalization is that faculty of the Mind by which it
forms and groups together several particular ideas in the form of _a
general idea_. By the processes of Conception we form _classes_ or
_generalizations_ from particular ideas arising from our _percepts_.
First, we _perceive_ things; then we _compare_ them with each other;
then we abstract their particular qualities, which are not common to the
several objects; then we _generalize_ them according to their
resemblances; then we _name_ the generalized concept. From these
combined processes we form a Concept, or _general idea_ of the class of
things to which the particular things belong. Thus from subjecting a
number of cows to this process, we arrive at the general Concept of
"Cow." This general Concept includes all the qualities and properties
_common to all cows_, while omitting those which are not common to the
class. Or, we may form a concept of Napoleon Bonaparte, by combining his
several qualities and properties and thus form a _general idea_ of the
man.
_Judgment_ is that faculty of the Mind whereby we determine the
agreement or disagreement between two concepts, ideas, or objects of
thought, by comparing them with each other. From this comparison arises
the judgment, which is expressed in the shape of a logical
_proposition_: "The horse is an animal;" or "the horse is not a cow."
Judgment is also used in forming a concept, in the first place, for we
must _compare qualities_ before we can form a _general idea_.
_Reasoning_ is that faculty of the Mind whereby we compare two
Judgments, one with the other, and from the comparison deduce a third
Judgment. This is a form of indirect or mediate comparison, whereas the
Judgment is a form of immediate or direct comparison. From this process
of Reasoning arises a result which is expressed in what is called a
Syllogism, as for instance: "All dogs are animals; Carlo is a dog;
therefore, Carlo is an animal." Or expressed in symbols: "A equals C;
and B equals C;" therefore, "A equals B." Reasoning is of two kinds or
classes; _viz._, Inductive and Deductive, respectively. We have
explained these forms of Reasoning in detail in another volume of this
series.
_The Feelings_ are the mental faculties whereby we experience emotions
or feelings. Feelings are the experiencing of the agreeable or
disagreeable nature of our mental states. They can be defined only in
their own terms. If we have never experienced a feeling, we cannot
understand the words expressing it. Feelings result in what are called
emotion, affection and desire. An emotion is the simple feeling, such as
joy, sorrow, etc. An affection is an emotion reaching out toward another
and outside object, such as envy, jealousy, love, etc. A desire is an
emotion arising from the _want_ of some lacking quality or thing, and
the inclination to possess it.
_Memory_ is the faculty of the Mind whereby we retain and reproduce, or
consciously revive any kind of past mental experience. It has two
sub-phases; _viz._, Retention and Recollection, respectively. It
manifests in the storing away of mental images and ideas, and in the
reproduction of them at a later period of time, and also of the
recognition of them as objects of past experience.
_Imagination_ is the faculty of the Mind whereby we represent
(_re-pre-sent_) as a mental image some previously experienced idea,
concept or image. Its activities are closely allied and blended with
those of the Memory. It has the power not only of reproducing objects
already perceived but also another power of _ideal creation_ whereby it
_creates_ new combinations from the materials of past experience. It is
a faculty, the importance of which is but little understood by the
majority of men. Inasmuch as the mental image must always precede the
material manifestation, the cultivation of the Imagination becomes a
matter of great importance and worthy of the closest study.
_Intuition_ is the faculty of the Mind whereby it evolves what have been
called Primary Truths or Primary Ideas. By Primary Ideas are meant the
ideas of Space, Time, Cause, Identity, etc. By Primary Truths are meant
the so-called "Self-Evident Truths" of geometry, mathematics and logic.
Under the head of Intuition are also sometimes included the activities
of the Subconscious or Superconscious regions of the mind, of which we
have spoken in detail in a volume under that name of this series. Some
authorities hold to the older idea of "Innate Ideas" by which is meant
that every human being is born with the knowledge of certain fundamental
truths, unconnected with any experience. Others hold that these ideas
are simply the result of the experience of the race, transmitted to us
as "germ ideas" which must grow by experience and exercise.
* * * * *
That each and every faculty of the Mind may be strengthened and
developed by Culture and Exercise is now held to be a fact by nearly
every authority worthy of that name. Just as the physical muscle may be
cultivated by the proper methods, so may the mental faculties be
strengthened and cultivated by the appropriate methods and means.
Inasmuch as the majority of the race are deficient in the development of
one or more of the leading mental faculties, it becomes a matter of
great interest and importance that all should acquaint themselves with
the means whereby their deficiencies may be corrected and remedied. We
shall now proceed to the consideration of Thought-Culture in general,
and then to the consideration of the culture of each particular general
faculty, in detail.