28 



the existing evil should be applied. If in the one case 

 the fact of a morbid state of the body removes the obli- 

 gation to feel courageous and hopeful, it also indicates in 

 the other case the obligation to use conscientiously the 

 means to maintain bodily health. 



A full recognition and wise teaching of the anatomical 

 and physiological relations of the mind, so far from weak- 

 ening, will on the contraiy strengthen the sense of moral 

 responsibility. If by such learning, the range of our 

 responsibility' becomes limited in one direction it becomes 

 increased in many others. "With a more exact definition 

 of the bounds of obligation, words of comfort and encour- 

 agement may change places with words of condemnation, 

 but the moral struggle of the will against perverse incli- 

 nations will still go on, although its method may be 

 changed. 



Having answered some objections to a statement of the 

 physiological relations of the mind, the lecturer then said 

 that a study of the structure and functions of the nervous 

 system led to conclusions which profoundly affect the 

 relative moral value of various mental experiences. The 

 emotions we have in common with the lower animals. 

 They are the physical response to ideas which originate 

 either from impressions received from external objects or 

 from the mind. They are the excitation of the physical 

 organization. This fact would seem to indicate the low 

 order of emotional experiences in themselves considered. 

 The emotions should not be confounded with the appetites 

 on the one hand, nor the affections on the other. Appe- 

 tites are desires for some bodily gratification. The afiec- 

 tions lie as far above emotions as the appetites do below. 

 Emotions are transient states. Affections are persistent 

 associations of the mind with certain objects and inclina- 

 tions towards these objects. The very nature of mere 



I 

 I 



