Observations placeholder
Descartes, Rene - Behavioural function
Identifier
002950
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Rene Descartes – Key Philosophical Writings
...there is no soul so feeble that it cannot, if well directed, acquire an absolute power over its passions........
[for example] when a dog sees a partridge he is naturally disposed to run towards it, and when he hears a gun fired, this sound naturally incites him to flight. But nevertheless setters are usually so trained that the sight of a partridge causes them to stop and the sound which they afterwards hear when a shot is fired over them, causes them to run up to us. And these things are useful in inciting each one of us to study to regard our passions; for since we can with a little industry change the movement of the brain in animals deprived of reason, it is evident that we can do so yet more in the case of men and that even those who have the feeblest souls can acquire a very absolute dominion over all their passions if sufficient industry is applied in training and guiding them.