Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/781

 A THEORY OF SOCIAL MOTIVES 767

the thing which lends itself to the widest range of instinctive acts. That is, the parental instinct is, more accurately, an in- stinct-center. When several instinctive acts converge toward a symbol they may be said to form an instinct-center. Formative of the parental instinct-center is the expansive instinct-process.

This expansive instinct-process becomes with the accretion of memory-images the impulse of generosity which adapts the individual to the conditions of a larger world. This impulse forms impulse-centers. Compassion differs from generosity in that it is an impulsive reaction to a feeling-state which is agitative as well as expansive. Compassion may occur in instinctive form in the parental relation as a reaction to the babe as puny and helpless.*®

The filial as well as the parental instinct proves when analyzed to be an instinct-center developed by the expansive instinct- process. The new-born babe smiles when "comfortable"'^'^ and cries when in pain. Cooley writes. "I have watched the face of an infant a week old while a variety of expressions, smiles, frowns, and so on, passed over it in rapid succession ; it was as if the child were rehearsing a repertory of emotional expression belonging to it by instinct. "^^ Agitative feelings predominate in very young infants and the period of infancy is a period marked by a gradual change in instinctive reactions as agitative reactions are modified through the action of expansive stimuli. Expansive feelings "soon begin to connect themselves with sensible objects such as bright color, voices, movements, fondlings,"^^ and chil- dren learn to smile at these objects as well as when simply "comfortable." The objects become symbols of comfortable feeling. Personal symbols do not for some time arouse feeling distinct from that associated with impersonal symbols.'^ When personal feeling becomes distinct it is not because it is different in kind from other feeling but because personal stimuli are stronger and more varied than impersonal. Thus the mother

• Westermarck, Origin and Development of Moral Ideas, Vol. II, p. 188. '" Moore, The Mental Development of a Child, p. 46. " Human Nature and the Social Order, p. 48. "''Ibid., p. 46. «/6»d., p. 47.