ago PkESENT-DAY RATIONALISM 



be his ruin [here motives begin to appear]. He has a 

 strong desire to avoid such evils. On the other hand, 

 he has a physical craving, a strong desire to drink the 

 brandy [here he is conscious of choice ; and of the power 

 to choose\ According as the one or the other of these 

 desires prevail, so must he act." ^ Precisely so ; but the 

 presence of consciousness makes all the difference between 

 acting "deliberately," as Mr. Forester admits, and acting 

 "automatically" where there is no "consciousness of 

 choice," but merely involuntary impulse ; as that which 

 impels an habitual drunkard, who seizes the glass and 

 drinks it ; having allowed himself by degrees to be 

 automatically impelled by the very sight of liquor. 



To continue arguing against the volitionist, by saying 

 the will acts without a motive or free from circumstances 

 seems to be absurd and useless. 



No act can possibly be done without them. You 

 cannot be angry " without a cause " } But you can 

 allow your temper to rise in the heart without suppressing 

 it, and give vent to angry words and deeds. Or, on the 

 other hand you can restrain the impulse and show no 

 outward signs. 



Something or some one gave occasion for your angry 

 feelings to assert themselves within you. That was the 

 " circumstance ". You had abstract reasons for thinking 

 it was wrong to give way to angry passions. There was 

 the " motive ". You were conscious of the choice, and by 

 an effort of will restrained yourself. 



A dog camiot do this. Being a pure automaton, his 

 exhibition of temper is in exact proportion to the in- 

 ternal excitement which has been aroused in him, 



Man alone can be conscious of the power to restrain 



1 op. cit., pp. 265 et seq. 



2 These words are struck out of the revised version (Matt. v. 22). 



