Affective Tendencies 395 



state of discharge or activation of the nervous or vital 

 energy, and pain to every state of inhibition or suppression 

 of it. 



In fact "painful" is every act inhibitive of certain 

 nervous activities; "unpleasant" every too perceptible 

 change of surrounding conditions which renders impos- 

 sible the continuance of the hitherto stationary physio- 

 logical state, "agonizing" every sudden and violent 

 change of environment which brings about the complete 

 stoppage or destruction of life in one or another part of 

 the organism, and "sad" is the individual when there is 

 a general diminution of vital functions within his 

 organism. 



Inversely, it is "pleasant" to exercise one's muscle in 

 play and sport; the cessation of a strained condition of 

 the soul is a "relief," the return to an accustomed environ- 

 ment and the resumption of habits is "welcome," and in 

 general full of "joy" and "pleasure" is every state in 

 which the organism experiences a greater activity of 

 nervous energy. 48 



It is sufficient here to indicate that the theory of the 

 mnemonic origin of all affective tendencies which we have 

 endeavored to explain and substantiate in this essay, 

 offers a new argument in support of the modern psycho- 

 logical views with regard to the inmost nature of pleasure 

 and pain. For in assigning to these affective tendencies 

 the nature of mnemonic accumulations it implies that the 

 fundamental principle of affective life can be nothing 

 but the tendency to activation inherent in these accumu- 



48 See Ribot, Psych, des sent., Part I, chapters I-III, especially 

 pp. 52 f. and 83 f W. Ostwald, Vorlcsungen iiber Naturphilosophie, 

 pp. 388 ff. Leipsic, Veit. 1905 



