Properly signifies that internal act by which we are made conscious of pleasure or pain felt at the organ of sense. As to sensations and feelings, says Cr. Reid, some belong to the animal part of our nature, and are common to us with the brutes; others belong to the rational and moral part. The first are more properly called sensations; the last, feelings. The French word sentiment is common to both. The design of the Almighty in giving us both the painful and agreeable feelings is, for the most part, obvious, and well deserving our notice.
1. The painful sensations are admonitions to avoid what would hurt us; and the agreeable sensations to invite us to those actions that are necessary to the preservation of the individual or the kind.
2. By the same means, nature invites us to moderate bodily exercise, and admonishes us to avoid idleness and inactivity on the one hand, and excessive labour on the other.
3. The moderate exercise of all our rational powers gives pleasure.
4. Every species of beauty is beheld with pleasure, and every species of deformity with disgust.
5. The benevolent affections are all accompanied with an agreeable feeling; the malevolent on the contrary; and,
6. The highest, the noblest, and the most durable pleasure is that of doing well; and the most bitter and painful sentiment, the anguish and remorse of a guilty conscience.
See Theorie des Sentiments Agreables; Reid on the Intellectual Powers, p. 332; Kaims's Elements of Criticism, vol. 2: p. 501.