Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 6.djvu/310

 294 ALEXANDER F. SHAND : it by the general term, thought. Aud psychological analysis endeavours to discover what this fact actually contains, as negative or positive thought, in its particular context ; not what it logically involves. Hence the two sciences from their different standpoints, from the different character of their analyses, will reach different conclusions, which rightly understood are in no way inconsistent with one another. We can illustrate the different character of the analyses and the different conclusions to which they lead in the present in- stance. In the psychological analysis of negative volition, we have to consider whether the negative actually present in its psychosis is co-presented with a positive thought which is its logical complement. In resolving not to attend to one object I must logically judge that I shall attend to another, or relapse into that sentient state in which all selective attention seems to be extinguished. In resolving not to do this I must logically judge that I shall do that, or at least maintain the present state : for the negative involves the positive. But in the resolution not to accomplish one end, there is not always as a psychical fact the positive resolution to accomplish some other end in place of it. In the negative volition, " No, I shall not do that," the idea of doing some- thing else or maintaining the present state may not occur : the volition may be confined to the idea of not doing or not attending. But without the occurrence of the idea a supple- mental positive volition is impossible. So also a positive volition may resolve to accomplish what it anticipates in idea without rejecting other alternatives which are incon- sistent with its purpose, without even the idea of them occurring. Still, in the negative volition, " I shall not do that," we must in the sequel do something else or maintain our present state, although we may have had no prevision of this positive result. But its occurrence is obviously conditioned by the fact of the negative volition. In escaping from one object, we, as a matter of fact, pursue after another, and the direction we take is conditioned by the direction we avoid. In resisting temptation, we attend to objects from which it is excluded, and the negative volition conditions the positive movement of attention. In fact as "negative conditions positive apperception," 1 so negative volition conditions and has as its psychical complement some positive conation. We may then lay down this general theory. All negative volition is as a psychical fact accom- panied by some positive conation : all positive volition by 1 Analytic Psychology, G. F. Stout, vol. ii., p. 144.