Excerpts from  Wisdom of the Ages 

"Plato’s Being, Brentano’s Psychological Acts, Wundt’s Processes, the transitive status of James, the purposefulness of Stout, the propensities of McDougall and cathexes of Freud are all variants of a common recognition of the mind as active. All separate the conative part of the mind from passive thinking and feeling. 

The Encyclopedia of Psychology “Motivation: Philosophical Theories,” says, “Some mental states seem capable of triggering action, while others —such as cognitive states — apparently have a more subordinate role [in terms of motivationi ... some behavior qualifies as motivated action, but some does not.” 

Hume in his Treatise of Human Nature, Book II, Part III, Section II, argued that intellectual awareness or “reason” cannot move us to do anything. 

Locke in 1690 said: “Volition or willing is an act of the mind directing it through to the production of any action, and thereby exerting its power to produce it... He that shall turn his thoughts inward upon what passes in his mind when he wills, shall see that the will or power of volition is conversant about nothing but our own actions terminates there; and reaches no further; and that volition is nothing but that particular determination of the mind, whereby, barely by a thought, the mind endeavors to give rise, continuation, or stop, to any action which it takes to be in its power."

Further, from the introduction to B. S. Woodworth’s investigation into volition: “An impelling interest attaches to the study of Human Volition. No other of man’s activities reaches so far in its consequences, both to the individual and to society, as does that of his Will. 1-listory is a record of its strivings and achievements and failures. The social and ethical sciences are founded on it. Its importance in education can scarcely be exaggerated. Culture, civilization itself, depends on the regulated volitions, repressions, and inhibitions of individuals and nations. All these activities come under the meaning of the term “Will” as it has been sanctioned by long and universal usage. It is vital, therefore, that our knowledge of Will-activity should be as exact and scientific as possible. Yet there is no field of psychology so slightly tilled as that which deals with volition. 

For many of the early philosophers and psychologists, conation was the instigation and regulation of behavior. It was what impelled action, whereas, the cognitive compelled. 

Spinoza, Hobbs and Descartes were all involved in a goal-directed theory of motivation. An essential part of that theory was Spinoza’s delineation of conatus as basic endeavor. He said it was the source of all striving, longing, ambition and self expression. It was the tendency for person to persist against obstacles. For these philosophers, conation was the very essence of the person, for, as Spinoza said, it was through conation that one persevered in one’s own being.