A motive may be defined as a conscious mental process which moves a man to act in a particular way, and with the possible exception of actions done from a sense of duty, actions done with a conscious process of willing have as their motives desires. It is my desire to eat food that moves me to go into a restaurant and order a meal.
In desire it however there appears to be two aspects, on the one hand the instinctive craving or urge impelling a man to action, and on the other hand the end or object at which he is aiming which is said to induce him to the action. The motive which impels a father to send his son to school may be from one aspect the parental instinct or parental affection impelling him to do so; from the other aspect it is him aim giving his son an education that will secure his full development and enable him to earn his living that induces the father to do so.
When a motive is actually operative in mind, it may not be possible to get rid of it on that particular occasion, and then, by his volition, the agent chooses to carry out or to refrain from the action to which either helps or hinders the recurrences of the particular motive. In the developed character, as we have already seen, certain motives have become habitually predominant, and the agent's own past choices have been important factors in determining which of his motives have become master motives.
In desire it however there appears to be two aspects, on the one hand the instinctive craving or urge impelling a man to action, and on the other hand the end or object at which he is aiming which is said to induce him to the action. The motive which impels a father to send his son to school may be from one aspect the parental instinct or parental affection impelling him to do so; from the other aspect it is him aim giving his son an education that will secure his full development and enable him to earn his living that induces the father to do so.
When a motive is actually operative in mind, it may not be possible to get rid of it on that particular occasion, and then, by his volition, the agent chooses to carry out or to refrain from the action to which either helps or hinders the recurrences of the particular motive. In the developed character, as we have already seen, certain motives have become habitually predominant, and the agent's own past choices have been important factors in determining which of his motives have become master motives.
