Mind as a force / by Charles F. Harford.

  • Harford-Battersby, Charles F. (Charles Forbes), 1864-1925.
Date:
1924
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Mind as a force / by Charles F. Harford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and hatred, each in their turn determining vigorous action. The emotion in each case is evidence of force set free, and wherever in our mental life we meet with strong emotions we should look for the underlying force. Emotions may be classified as attractive or repulsive, and in the sample thoughts which we have chosen the first of each pair is attractive and the second repulsive. This may be compared to positive and negative electricity, and other points of similarity may appear as we further develop this idea. It may be useful at this point to explain the meaning of the term “ the emotions ” or emotional ” as here used. Psychologists often use the words affect or affective in the same way. Whichever words are employed the idea is broader than that often associated with the emotions, for it not only signifies love or hate, joy or sorrow, pleasure or pain, but the more common¬ place sentiments of interest or boredom, advantage or disadvantage. In any case we desire to lay the utmost stress upon this point that some emotional reaction must take place in every process of thought, and that the character of the reaction will determine the final result. The recognition of this fact is vital in all psychological study, and particularly in psycho¬ therapy. In this analysis of thought we have followed the generally accepted view of the older psychologists and it is one that may be regarded as a basis from which we may start to investigate the machinery of mind.