No. XVII.A.] APPENDIX. 273 



external agents upon the body, wMoli give rise to a new image in the 

 brain; and action may also be produced by the recurrence of a former 

 image. 



Specific Action. 



37. The mind is one and indivisible ; and thus, the particular muscular 

 movement which the electrical force determines is not only regulated by 

 an immediate image, but by every other image which has at any former 

 time been implanted in the brain. 



38. Pleasure and pain regulate all actions : hence the particular move- 

 ment which is deteimined arises from the pleasurable or painful character 

 of all former images; as animals, as well as human, beings, seek those 

 actions which are likely to be pleasurable, and eschew those which are 

 likely to be painful. 



39. But the action determined in ajiy particular instance may be 

 painful for the sake of obtaining greater pleasure at future periods ; aaid 

 the idea of obtaining infinite pleasure may allow of the most intense 

 immediate pain. 



Hope a/nd Fear. 



40. The idea of future pleasure is called Hope — of future pain. Fear. 

 The government of mankind is conducted by exciting Hope and Fear. 



Desire. 



41. When a tendency to act exists, it is called Desire ; and always 

 exists, more or less, when a being is in good health, and in a state free 

 from fatigue. 



Virtue and Vice. 



42. All actions in the higher generalizations would give the idea 

 either of infinite pleasure or of infinite pain. Actions which concur with 

 those which lead to infinite pleasure are called Virtuous ; and those which 

 lead to infinite pain are called Vicious. 



Moral Law. 



43. The moral law, being infinite, is competent to control all actions. 

 It is therefore important that it should be frequently and strongly 

 impressed upon the human mind. 



Volition. 



44. The resultant of the force of an immediate stimulus and of alt 

 former ideas implanted in the brain is termed Volition. 



Free Agency, 



45. A man is born a free agent ; but after images are once implanted, 

 he is compelled to act from the ideas existing in his brain. Hence, could 

 we but tell the exact ideas which any human being possessed, it would be 

 practicable to foretell his line of action imder any defined circumstance. 



