Konationer

Abstract

In accordance with Cartesian and empiricist philosophy conations have within psychology been conceived as phenomena of consciousness behind actions. Conations were by structuralist psychology studied through introspection of phenomena of will. This concept of conations has been unacceptable to modem psychology, but conations have been discussed behind the cover of a scientifically respectable concept of motivating drives. The paper contains a critical discussion of drive theories. In connection with remarks on the psychology of the danish philosopher Høffding attention is drawn to german-romanticist theory. This theory constitutes a clear alternative to Cartesian-empiricist theory. A conceptual clarification of the basic concepts of conation, motivation, need, cognition and emotion is a precondition of the development of a psychology of conation. Such a clarification has been
attempted by the drawing of a sketch of the phylogenetic development of conations leading to their position and forms within the mind of human beings.