PHILOSOPHY, MENTAL. 
nieaus of B, A is transferred to C, the plea- 
surable feelings are transferred to the idea 
of money (and consequently to money itself) 
and are called up by it without any re- 
ference to B, the objects by which those 
pleasurable feelings were excited. — The 
law of transference may, in this instance, 
and many others, be carried one step fur- 
ther. In this state money is desired, on 
account of the pleasurable feelings with 
which it is connected j but by degrees the 
desire is transferred from the pleasurable 
feelings with which it is connected to money 
itself, and money is loved for itself, without 
any reference to those pleasurable feelings. 
This is so important a fact in our mental 
constitution, and what can be explained 
only by association, that we deem no apo- 
logy necessai y for endeavouring so much at 
length to point out its application. Here A 
is the desire which is excited by B, the 
pleasurable feeling connected with C, the 
idea of money : by means of B, A, the desire, 
is transferred to C, the idea of the money; 
and thus money comes to be desired for 
itself, without any reference to the plea- 
surable feelings which it is the means of 
procuring. In this state the desire of mo- 
ney is become an ultimate affection; it is 
no longer desired as a means, but as an 
end ; it is desired on its own account. 
44. Illustrations of a similar kind might be 
offered with respect to the filial, fraternal, 
and even the parental affections; and it 
might be shewn that they are only gradually 
disinterested; but at the same time the 
natural tendency is to disinterestedness: 
and tliat it is only where disinterestedness 
is opposed by the culture of wrong affec- 
tions, (affections which, when become ulti- 
mate, are ever selfish), and by neglect of 
those which are in all their stages worthy 
and which hasten the progress almost 
indefinitely, that the mind stops at par- 
tial disinterestedness or sinks into con- 
firmed selfishness. — In opposition to these 
views, however, it may be advanced by 
some that children are usually more disin- 
terested than persons who have had ex- 
perience in life. We shall make some ob- 
servations on this point, which will at the 
same time throw some light on the progress 
of the filial affections. Children often ap- 
pear disinterested where they are not really 
so, because we do not take into account 
the quick changes of their feelings ; some- 
times setting a light value upon what a 
few hours, or even minutes, before they 
were delighted with, and at other times the 
reverse. Hence they are readily induced 
to give away what they have before been 
delighted with, and to make what we 
erroneously think sacrifices without an ef- 
fort — But again, we are apt to think them 
disinterested when they give up what they 
really like, only, or principally, because they 
thus have a greater share of the pleasures 
resulting from their obedience to their 
friends’ praise, or other rewards. Now the 
approbation of their friends is to children 
a thing of such value, that praise affords 
them some of their greatest pleasures. And 
therefore when for the sake of that appro- 
bation, they give up play-things or niceties, 
or any other objects of pleasure, so far from 
being disinterested, they are eminently self- 
interested; but their self interestedness is 
of a better kind, one which with due care 
will prove a most powerful engine in the 
moral and religious culture of the mind, by 
increasing the influence of the parent and 
instructor. — ^Again, children are in general 
influenced more by present objects than by 
future objects, however far superior in their 
value and durability. Few children early 
attain such command over themselves as 
voluntarily to give up a present source of 
pleasure for a future one; and where it is 
done, it is rather in compliance with the 
wishes and injunctions of their friends, than 
from any comprehensive conception of the 
future good. It is an excellent thing to 
obtain the sacrifice by means of any worthy 
feeling; all we wish to observe is, that 
children do not feel the value of future 
pleasiu-es, and therefore easily yield to that 
which is most powerful at the time. Hence 
therefore they appear disinterested because 
they cannot calculate the value of the good 
which they relinquish; and do in reality 
prefer the greatest present pleasure, or 
rather they are in reality actuated by the 
greatest present pleasure,— We do however 
cheerfully admit that children very often 
are disinterested ; for instance, will obey 
their parents, will tell the truth, will en- 
deavour to increase the comforts of others, 
without any reference direct or indirect to’ 
any personal gratification; and we admit 
too that these samd children too frequently 
as they grow up become more selfish, and 
sometimes the Constitutional readiness with 
which they have in some instances become 
disinterested, will be the cause of their be- 
coming selfish, and that to a degree which 
those of less promise never experience. 
All this may be easily explained, but we 
must confine ourselves to the fact, that 
