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第10章

the ethics(part iv)-第10章

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incredible; what shall we say of infants? A man of ripe age deems their 



nature so unlike his own; that he can only be persuaded that he too has 



been an infant by the analogy of other men。 However; I prefer to leave such 



questions undiscussed; lest I should give ground to the superstitious for 



raising new issues。















Prop。 XL。 Whatsoever conduces to man's 



social life; or causes men to live 



together in harmony; is useful; whereas 



whatsoever brings discord into a State is bad。







Proof。… For whatsoever causes men to live together in harmony also causes 



them to live according to reason (IV:xxxv。); and is therefore (IV:xxvi。 



and IV:xxvii。) good; and (for the same reason) whatsoever brings about 



discord is bad。 Q。E。D。















Prop。 XLI。 Pleasure in itself is not 



bad but good: contrariwise; pain in 



itself is bad。







Proof。… Pleasure (III:xi。&Note) is emotion; whereby the body's power of 



activity is increased or helped; pain is emotion; whereby the body's power 



of activity is diminished or checked; therefore (IV:xxxviii。) pleasure in 



itself is good; &c。 Q。E。D。















Prop。 XLII。 Mirth cannot be excessive; 



but is always good; contrariwise; 



Melancholy is always bad。







Proof。… Mirth (see its Def。 in III:xi。Note) is pleasure。 which; in so 



far as it is referred to the body; consists in all parts of the body being 



affected equally: that is (III:xi。); the body's power of activity is 



increased or aided in such a manner; that the several parts maintain their 



former proportion of motion and rest; therefore Mirth is always good 



(IV。 xxxix。); and cannot be excessive。 But Melancholy (see its Def。 in 



the same note to III:xi。Note) is pain; which; in so far as it is referred 



to the body; consists in the absolute decrease or hindrance of the body's 



power of activity; therefore (IV:xxxviii。) it is always bad。 Q。E。D。















Prop。 XLIII。 Stimulation may be excessive 



and bad; on the other hand; grief may be 



good; in so far as stimulation or pleasure 



is bad。







Proof。… Localized pleasure or stimulation (titillatio) is pleasure; which; 



in so far as it is referred to the body; consists in one or some of its 



parts being affected more than the rest (see its Definition; III:xi。Note); 



the power of this emotion may be sufficient to overcome other actions of 



the body (IV:vi。); and may remain obstinately fixed therein; thus rendering 



it incapable of being affected in a variety of other ways: therefore 



(IV:xxxviii。) it may be bad。 Again; grief; which is pain; cannot as such 



be good (IV:xli。)。 But; as its force and increase is defined by the power 



of an external cause compared with our own (IV:v。); we can conceive  



infinite degrees and modes of strength in this emotion (IV:iii。); 



we can; therefore; conceive it as capable of restraining stimulation; 



and preventing its becoming excessive; and hindering the body's 



capabilities; thus; to this extent; it will be good。 Q。E。D。















Prop。 XLIV。 Love and desire may be excessive。







Proof。… Love is pleasure; accompanied by the idea of an external cause 



(Def_of_Emotions:vi。); therefore stimulation; accompanied by the idea of 



an external cause is love (III:xi。Note); hence love maybe excessive。  



Again; the strength of desire varies in proportion to the emotion from 



which it arises (III:xxxvii。)。 Now emotion may overcome all the rest of 



men's actions (IV:vi。); so; therefore; can desire; which arises from the 



same emotion; overcome all other desires; and become excessive; as we 



showed in the last proposition concerning stimulation。







Note。… Mirth; which I have stated to be good; can be conceived more easily 



than it can be observed。 For the emotions; whereby we are daily assailed; 



are generally referred to some part of the body which is affected more than 



the rest; hence the emotions are generally excessive; and so fix the mind 



in the contemplation of one object; that it is unable to think of others; 



and although men; as a rule; are a prey to many emotions … and very few 



are found who are always assailed by one and the same … yet there are 



cases; where one and the same emotion remains obstinately fixed。 We 



sometimes see men so absorbed in one object; that; although it be not 



present; they think they have it before them; when this is the case with a 



man who is not asleep; we say he is delirious or mad; nor are those persons 



who are inflamed with love; and who dream all night and all day about 



nothing but their mistress; or some woman; considered as less mad; for 



they are made objects of ridicule。 But when a miser thinks of nothing but 



gain or money; or when an ambitious man thinks of nothing but glory; they 



are not reckoned to be mad; because they are generally harmful; and are 



thought worthy of being hated。 But; in reality; Avarice; Ambition; Lust; 



&c。; are species of madness; though they may not be reckoned among diseases。















Prop。 XLV。 Hatred can never be good。







Proof。… When we hate a man; we endeavour to destroy him (III。xxxix。); 



that is (IV:xxxvii。); we endeavour to do something that is bad。 



Therefore; &c。 Q。E。D。







N。B。 Here; and in what follows; I mean by hatred only hatred towards men。







Corollary I。… Envy; derision; contempt; anger; revenge; and other emotions 



attributable to hatred; or arising therefrom; are bad; this is evident from 



III:xxxix。 and IV:xxxvii。







Corollary II。… Whatsoever we desire from motives of hatred is base; and in 



a State unjust。 This also is evident from III:xxxix。; and from the 



definitions of baseness and injustice in IV:xxxvii。Note。







Note。… Between derision (which I have in Coroll。 I。 stated to be bad) and 



laughter I recognize a great difference。 For laughter; as also jocularity; 



is merely pleasure; therefore; so long as it be not excessive; it is in 



itself good (IV:xli。)。 Assuredly nothing forbids man to enjoy himself; 



save grim and gloomy superstition。 For why is it more lawful to satiate 



one's hunger and thirst than to drive away one's melancholy? I reason; and 



have convinced myself as follows: No deity; nor anyone else; save the 



envious; takes pleasure in my infirmity and discomfort; nor sets down to my 



virtue the tears; sobs; fear; and the like; which axe signs of infirmity of 



spirit; on the contrary; the greater the pleasure wherewith we are affected; 



the greater the perfection whereto we pass; in other words; the more must 



we necessarily partake of the divine nature。 Therefore; to make use of what 



comes in our way; and to enjoy it as much as possible (not to the point of 



satiety; for that would not be enjoyment) is the part of a wise man。 I say 



it is the part of a wise man to refresh and recreate himself with moderate 



and pleasant food and drink; and also with perfumes; with the soft beauty 



of growing plants; with dress; with music; with many sports; with theatres; 



and the like; such as every man may make use of without injury to his 



neighbour。 For the human body is composed of very numerous parts; of 



diverse nature; which continually stand in need of fresh and varied 



nourishment; so that the whole body may be equally capable of performing 



all the actions; which follow from the necessity of its own nature; and; 



consequently; so that the mind may also be equally capable of … 



understanding many things simultaneously。 This way of life; then; agrees 



best with our principles; and also with general practice; therefore; if 



there be any question of another plan; the plan we have mentioned is the 



best; and in every way to be commended。 There is no need for me to set 



forth the matter more clearly or in more detail。















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