Psychology

Book 5

Appendix: Laws of Animality

Introduction

1780. What has been said in the previous book about the laws guiding the rational principle in its operation would appear to satisfy the purpose of this work. Human intelligence, however, is entirely surrounded and restricted by the animal part of the human being. Although essentially free (because every intellect has its seat in the infinite), the intelligence marvels at seeing itself surrounded and impeded in its flight by a material, brute element. This animal part of humanity is, I repeat, mysterious, highly difficult to investigate, multiple and indeed inexhaustible. It is, therefore, imperative for us here, at the end of the book, to turn back to the animal part to provide greater clarity, if that is possible, and to develop anew the things already said about it. Without this, the reader may imagine that he has still disentangled nothing of the great skein before him.

Animality, like every other finite being, has two parts: the passive part, formed of feelings, and the active part, formed of instincts.(1) The passive part has already been sufficiently dealt with; here I want to continue what was said about the active part, examining more carefully the laws which preside over instinctive, animal activity.

I divided this activity into two great instincts, life and sensuous.(2) I now want to examine as carefully as possible the laws of both, and the mode of operations which follow the efficacious application of these laws.

Notes

(1) Anthropology as an Aid to Moral Science, 47-49.

(2) Ibid., 367-498.