Classification of Mental Phenomena

The phenomena of the mind may all be referred to the following three classes :
(1)	Knowledge, or Cognitions ;
(2)	 Feelings ;
(3) Exertions, or Conations.
 Relations of these Phenomena.
These phenomena are important to the rhetorician, since his purpose of assimilating new ideas to the mind addressed can be accomplished through these only.
Without cognition there could be neither feeling nor conation ; and without feeling there could be no cona¬tion. For example, a person is fond of cards. "In a company where he beholds a game in progress, there arises a desire to join in it. Now the desire is here manifestly kindled by the pleasure which the person had, and has, in the play. The feeling thus connects the cognition of the play with the desire to join in it ; it forms the bridge, and contains the motive, by which we are aroused from mere knowledge to appetency,— to conation, by reference to which we move ourselves so as to attain the end in view."* Men are moved to action by three steps : (1) an idea is presented to the mind for cognition ; (2) the idea produces a state of feeling ; (3) the feeling excites action.
Category:Character