Page:Mind (Old Series) Volume 9.djvu/525

 A CLASSIFICATION OF FEELINGS, H. 513 that is passively beneficent, that is to say, whose mere pre- sence in the environment is beneficial to the organism. In feelings of this group the cognised power of the agent with respect to that of the organism is a much less important element in determining variations of the feeling than it is in the previous group. In the presence of a noxious agent, such a cognition is all-important. The mode of reaction of the organism is determined very largely by the estimate that is formed of the power of the agent, and feeling, which is the correlative of action, must vary and does vary greatly with the same estimate. But in the case of a beneficent agent it is manifest that its power with respect to the organism is much less important, and hence the divisions of feeling on this basis are much less numerous. TABLE V. < I. Sub-class I. Order II. Genus 3 : Kindly Feelings, and is not of overwhelmin actively J Feelings correspond- with the rela- tion to the organism of an agent in the environment which is beneficent. power. Gratitude, and is of overwhelming power. Reverence. rand is not of overwhelming j passively] ^ ' **" L I power. Devotion. Inspection of this Table will doubtless elicit the criticism that the distinction between an agent that is beneficent by its mere presence, and one that is beneficent by service ren- dered is one that cannot always be made ; but the reply is that the feelings defined by this distinction are so closely allied that the distinction between them cannot always be made, and that the imperfect Limitation of the definition corresponds with the imperfect limitation of the thing de- fined and so justifies itself. Although the two varieties of beneficence often coexist in the same agent, and the feelings of Gratitude and Liking are consequently often present to- gether, yet the more completely the beneficence is, or is cognised as, active, the more does the feeling partake of the nature of Gratitude, and the more completely passive the beneficence the more unalloyed is the feeling of Liking. That Gratitude does not arise save in correspondence with the circumstance of gifts or services rendered, every one will admit. It is universally accepted that Gratitude is the name given to feeling that arises under such circumstances. It
 * and is of overwhelming