CHAPTER VII.

EMOTIONS AND CHARACTER, OR VIRTUES AND VICES.
From what has gone before it immediately follows that the virtues and vices of • rf Virtue1 mankind are only the Emotions and Yice. become permanent and wide- reaching : they are only permanent or habitual moods of mind (in the aspect of desire), guiding modes of action towards others generally. In the case of virtues they are the Emotions on the side of Love ; in the case of vices, those on the side of Hate. For example, the emotion of Love, originally felt towards a small circle, for special personal reasons, ties of blood, etc., becomes the virtue of love (lovingness, friendliness, an affection- ate nature, benevolence) when felt towards all with whom the man comes into contact, recognised (deliberately or instinctively) as a duty owed to each and based on the root-idea of the Unity of the Self. The emotion of parental love, felt to the
EMOTIONS AND CHARACTER. 79
son, becomes the virtue of compassion, of tender- ness, of protectiveness, when exercised towards anyone who is inferior or helpless. Hence Manu bids a man regard all aged women as his mothers, all young folk as his children, widening the personal Emotion into its corresponding virtue. Hence, also, a Buddhist description of the Arhat, speaks of his love as infinite, all-embracing, regard- ing all as a mother regards her first-born son. Hence, again, a Christian scripture says that ' love is the fulfilling of the law,' since all that duty can lay down as virtue love pours out spontaneously in fullest measure. So, on the other side, passing fits of anger, or scorn, becoming habitual, make up the vice of peevishness, or malevolence. Thus, then, we see that if a man acts to every one as to his own under the sway of love, he will be a virtuous man ; if he behaves to others generally as he does towards the special objects of his dislike, he will be a vicious one. We may rightly say then that virtues are Emotions on the side of Love, vices those on the side of Hate. Indeed, this is so much the case that, even without the fact being clearly recognised, the same word is often found denoting a particular Emotion as well as the virtue or vice corresponding to it ; for instance, compassion and pride. It requires only to name the corresponding Emotions and the virtues and vices side by side respectively to show at once the truth of the state- ment made above.
80 SCIENCE OF THE EMOTIONS.
The permanent aspects of the principal Emotions named before, appearing in man as overruling and predominant moods of feeling, affecting, color- ing, and guiding his modes of action, may be grouped as below : —
On the side of Love :
The Attraction between equals in the three ascending stages before mentioned (pp.
47"49) gives rise to : cation of Politeness — Good manners— -Courte-
Yirtu^and sy-Blandness-Considerateness. Yicesr ' Friendliness— Helpfulness— Sociability.
Lovingness — An affectionate nature— Domes- ticity. Attraction to a superior similarly produces :
Modesty — Unobtrusiveness — Mildness.
Reverence — Seriousness — Earnestness — Gravity — Sedateness— Staidness — Non-flippantness.
Meekness — Humility — Obedience — Gratitude. Attraction to an inferior :
Kindliness — Appreciativeness — Goodwill — Urba- nity— Condescension- Suavity. Gentleness— Softness — Sweetness — Kind-hearted- ness.
Compassionateness — Pitifulness— Benevolence.
On the side of Hate, they are, similarly : Towards equals :
Rudeness— Brusqueness — Churlishness.
Moroseness— Sullenness— Irascibility —Peevish- ness.
EMOTIONS AND CHARACTER. 81
Cholericness — Bearishness— Ill-temper. Towards superiors :
Timidity— Suspiciousness — Shyness.
Timorousness.
Cowardice— Vindictiveness — Revengef ulness. Towards inferiors :
Superciliousness — Nil admirari — Slightingness — Self-complacence.
Self-importance— Aggressiveness — Obtrusiveness.
Scornfulness — Disdainfulness— Hauteur —Pride
—Malevolence.
The above general list is sufficient illustration of the proposition stated at the beginning of this chapter, and also of the complexity and subtlety of shade which prevails among human Emotions at the present stage of evolution, making indis- tinguishable the line at which Emotions pass into permanent moods, and become mental facts which are not allowed the name of Emotions in ordinary language, nor even of virtues or vices, sometimes.
This subject leads on immediately to the consider- ation of a number of mental phases which require careful analysis in order that they may be brought into line with the procession of thoughts followed hitherto. The next chapter will be devoted to them. We may note here, as a means of use- ful exercise for the student, that the Emotion- virtues and vices above-mentioned, and others, may be sorted out (among other many possible ways) according as they are more * subjective/ 6
32 SCIENCE OF THE EMOTIONS.
or more ' objective ' or midway between the two. Thus, as hinted in passing, on a previous occasion, Self -Importance may be regarded as more 4 subjective,' Superciliousness as more ' objective/ and Self-Satisfiedness as midway. Of course the radical principle of all such triple sub- divisions is that which is the basis of cognition, action and desire.
The complete significance, in all their mental associations, of the facts that are
Metaphysi- denoted by the words virtue and cal ques- tions, vice ; why the one should be followed
and the other eschewed ; and many related questions ; these belong to the Metaphysic of Ethics, the necessary sequel to the Metaphysic of the Emotions, as the Metap'iysic of the Self is its necessary precursor. *
The outlines thereof may have to be touched on afterwards in connection with the question (which belongs to a later stage) of the practical cultiva- tion of virtues and the eradication of vices by means of the regulation of the Emotions.
1 See infrat chapter xii. (c) as to how the inmost significance of Truth and Untruth, as the basis of ethical schemes of virtues and vices, is nothing else than Love and Hate, Unity and Many-ness. Also Part III of The Advanced Text-Book ofSanatana Dharma.