264 ANALYSIS OF COMBR's " SYSTEM OF PHRENOLOGY." 



of these diversified questions should prove to be both agreeable and 

 instructive to the fairly inquisitive mind. 



Mr. Combe divides the mental faculties into the affective, which 

 are the propensities and sentiments, and the intellectual, which con- 

 stitute the perceptive and reflective powers. He states preliminarily 

 that, with regard to many of the faculties and their organs, the 

 observations have been made to such an extent that their functions 

 are held to be ascertained ; and, in the case of others, where the ob- 

 servations have been fewer, the functions are represented as being 

 only probable. Among phrenologists, there is no difference res- 

 pecting the kind of manifestations which accompany the facul- 

 ties and organs set down as established ; their views differ merely 

 concerning the result of the metaphysical analysis of the feelings and 

 intellects, and the order of their arrangement. Mr. C. notices 

 briefly the history of the discovery of each faculty and its organ, 

 and he relates a few cases in illustration of its particular function ; 

 but he considerately abstains from swelling his volumes, by accu- 

 mulating the multitudes of facts which constitute the evidence 

 wheron Phrenology is founded. His method of proceeding is, to 

 refer distinctly to the authorities which elucidate and confirm his 

 propositions, and he requests those persons who desire philosophical 

 conviction, to resort directly to nature, which is always within their 

 reach ; for, he avers emphatically, well-grounded conviction can be 

 obtained only by personal observation. 



Mr. Combe propounds his doctrines regarding the affective facul- 

 ties or feelings in two separate sections : the first includes the ele- 

 ven propensities, and in the second he places the twelve sentiments ; 

 an arrangement obviously quite natural, and also very convenient 

 for elucidation. 



Propensities. — With respect to these mental faculties, ]Mr. Combe 

 maintains the general proposition that they do not form ideas or 

 procure knowledge, but that their sole function individually is to 

 produce a desire, disposition, tendency, or impulse of a specific kind. 

 They are common to man with the lower animals, and their chief 

 object is to secure the preservation of each individual himself, his 

 family, or his tribe. In this world there is ample and delightful 

 scope for their projier activity, even in this way ; but they are 

 prone to deviations from their original intents, unless their motives 

 be directed by those higher faculties of the mind which originate 

 the principles of reason, virtue, and religion. 



Sentiments. — These faculties excite feelings or emotions of a par- 

 ticular sort joined with an inclination to act. They differ from in- 



