455 
is, of course, instinctive ; and the abstention which it produces 
is automatic. Further on in life, let us imagine him to restrain 
an inclination for stimulants in consequence of his having 
acquired a sensitiveness to the opinion of society, and of his 
having become aware that society disapproves of drunkenness; 
in this case also we will concede that he is more or less auto- 
matically influenced by a social instinct. But let us suppose, 
thirdly, that, having arrived at maturity, he reflects on the 
nature of drunkenness and the numerous evils resulting from 
it, and that he abstains from intoxicating drinks in consequence 
of his reflection. The Fatalist will urge that the abstention is 
the necessary result of one or all of the considerations presented 
to him by his reflection, which overpower his inclination for 
the stimulant in the same way as the fear of the cudgel over- 
powers the anger of the dog. 
22. But even if we admit that the abstention is automatically 
produced by any of the considerations suggested by reflection, 
there still remains a fundamental difference between the psy- 
chological process which results in the abstention of the man 
from stimulants and the process which precedes the final action 
of the dog. The dog flies at my throat or not according as 
rage or fear may preponderate ; but the man suspends the 
performance of the action to which he is inclined in order that 
he may reflect; and the motives which ultimately determine his 
conduct are generated by, and therefore follow the reflection ; 
and these motives, however automatically they may finally 
influence him, were not the primary cause of his abstention, 
for they did not at the time exist in his mind at all. 
23. The importance of this suspensive power of the rational 
principle is recognized by Locke ; and I think he might with 
more reason have made it the ground of distinction between 
man and brute. 
I desire it may be well considered whether the great inlet and exercise 
of all the liberty men have, are capable of, or can be useful to them, and 
that whereon depends the turn of their actions does not lie in this, that they 
can suspend their desires and stop them from determining their wills to any 
action till they have duly and fairly examined the good and evil of it, so far 
forth as the weight of the thing requires.” * 
24. Recurring now to what has been laid down in the com- 
mencement of this paper relative to the automatic nature of 
the intellectual processes, it is easy to perceive why intellect, as 
Essay concerning the Human Understanding. 
VOL. XI. 2 L 
