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Contents - Ethics 4,
Of Human Bondage, or the Strength of the Emotions

E4PREF PREFACE. Human infirmity in moderating and checking the emotions I name bondage:...
E4D1 DEF. 1. By good I mean that which we certainly know to be useful to us.
E4D2 DEF. 2. By evil I mean that which we certainly know to be a hindrance to us in the attainment of any good.
E4D3 DEF. 3. Particular things I call contingent in so far as, while regarding their essence only, we find nothi...
E4D4 DEF. 4. Particular things I call possible in so far as, while regarding the causes whereby they must be pro...
E4D5 DEF. 5. By conflicting emotions I mean those which draw a man in different directions, though they are of t...
E4D6 DEF. 6. What I mean by emotion felt towards a thing, future, present, and past, I explained in E3P18N1...
E4D7 DEF. 7. By an end, for the sake of which we do something, I mean a desire.
E4D8 DEF. 8. By virtue (virtus) and power I mean the same thing; that is (E3P7), virtue, in so...
E4A AXIOM. There is no individual thing in nature, than which there is not another more powerful and strong. W...
E4P1 PROP. 1. No positive quality possessed by a false idea is removed by the presence of what is true, in virtue...
E4P2 PROP. 2. We are only passive, in so far as we are a part of Nature, which cannot be conceived by itself with...
E4P3 PROP. 3. The force whereby a man persists in existing is limited, and is infinitely surpassed by the power o...
E4P4 PROP. 4. It is impossible, that man should not be a part of Nature, or that he should be capable of undergoi...
E4P4C PROP. 4, Cor. Hence it follows, that man is necessarily always a prey to his passions, that he follows and obeys...
E4P5 PROP. 5. The power and increase of every passion, and its persistence in existing are not defined by the pow...
E4P6 PROP. 6. The force of any passion or emotion can overcome the rest of a man's activities or power, so that t...
E4P7 PROP. 7. An emotion can only be controlled or destroyed by another emotion contrary thereto, and with more p...
E4P7C PROP. 7, Cor. An emotion, in so far as it is referred to the mind, can only be controlled or destroyed through an...
E4P8 PROP. 8. The knowledge of good and evil is nothing else but the emotions of pleasure or pain, in so far as w...
E4P9 PROP. 9. An emotion, whereof we conceive the cause to be with us at the present time, is stronger than if we...
E4P9C PROP. 9, Cor. The image of something past or future, that is, of a thing which we regard as in relation to time p...
E4P10 PROP. 10. Towards something future, which we conceive as close at hand, we are affected more intensely, than...
E4P10C PROP. 10, Cor. From the remarks made in E4D6 of this part it follows that, if objects are separated...
E4P11 PROP. 11. An emotion towards that which we conceive as necessary is, when other conditions are equal, more in...
E4P12 PROP. 12. An emotion towards a thing, which we know not to exist at the present time, and which we conceive a...
E4P12C PROP. 12, Cor. An emotion towards a thing, which we know not to exist in the present, and which we conceive as con...
E4P13 PROP. 13. Emotion towards a thing contingent, which we know not to exist in the present, is, other conditions...
E4P14 PROP. 14. A true knowledge of good and evil cannot check any emotion by virtue of being true, but only in so...
E4P15 PROP. 15. Desire arising from the knowledge of good and bad can be quenched or checked by many of the other d...
E4P16 PROP. 16. Desire arising from the knowledge of good and evil, in so far as such knowledge regards what is fut...
E4P17 PROP. 17. Desire arising from the true knowledge of good and evil, in so far as such knowledge is concerned w...
E4P18 PROP. 18. Desire arising from pleasure is, other conditions being equal, stronger than desire arising from pa...
E4P19 PROP. 19. Every man, by the laws of his nature, necessarily desires or shrinks from that which he deems to be...
E4P20 PROP. 20. The more every man endeavours, and is able to seek what is useful to him--in other words, to preser...
E4P21 PROP. 21. No one can desire to be blessed, to act rightly, and to live rightly, without at the same time wish...
E4P22 PROP. 22. No virtue can be conceived as prior to this endeavour to preserve one's own being.
E4P22C PROP. 22, Cor. The effort for self-preservation is the first and only foundation of virtue. For prior to this prin...
E4P23 PROP. 23. Man, in so far as he is determined to a particular action because he has inadequate ideas, cannot b...
E4P24 PROP. 24. To act absolutely in obedience to virtue is in us the same thing as to act, to live, or to preserve...
E4P25 PROP. 25. No one wishes to preserve his being for the sake of anything else.
E4P26 PROP. 26. Whatsoever we endeavour in obedience to reason is nothing further than to understand; neither does...
E4P27 PROP. 27. We know nothing to be certainly good or evil, save such things as really conduce to understanding,...
E4P28 PROP. 28. The mind's highest good is the knowledge of God, and the mind's highest virtue is to know God.
E4P29 PROP. 29. No individual thing, which is entirely different from our own nature, can help or check our power o...
E4P30 PROP. 30. A thing cannot be bad for us through the quality which it has in common with our nature, but it is...
E4P31 PROP. 31. In so far as a thing is in harmony with our nature, it is necessarily good.
E4P31C PROP. 31, Cor. Hence it follows, that, in proportion as a thing is in harmony with our nature, so is it more usefu...
E4P32 PROP. 32. In so far as men are a prey to passion, they cannot, in that respect, be said to be naturally in ha...
E4P33 PROP. 33. Men can differ in nature, in so far as they are assailed by those emotions, which are passions, or...
E4P34 PROP. 34. In so far as men are assailed by emotions which are passions, they can be contrary one to another.
E4P35 PROP. 35. In so far only as men live in obedience to reason, do they always necessarily agree in nature.
E4P35C1 PROP. 35, Cor. 1. There is no individual thing in nature, which is more useful to man, than a man who lives in obedie...
E4P35C2 PROP. 35, Cor. 2. As every man seeks most that which is useful to him, so are men most useful one to another.
E4P36 PROP. 36. The highest good of those who follow virtue is common to all, and therefore all can equally rejoice...
E4P37 PROP. 37. The good which every man, who follows after virtue, desires for himself he will also desire for oth...
E4P38 PROP. 38. Whatsoever disposes the human body, so as to render it capable of being affected in an increased nu...
E4P39 PROP. 39. Whatsoever brings about the preservation of the proportion of motion and rest, which the parts of t...
E4P40 PROP. 40. Whatsoever conduces to man's social life, or causes men to live together in harmony, is useful, whe...
E4P41 PROP. 41. Pleasure in itself is not bad but good: contrariwise, pain in itself is bad.
E4P42 PROP. 42. Mirth cannot be excessive, but is always good; contrariwise, Melancholy is always bad.
E4P43 PROP. 43. Stimulation may be excessive and bad; on the other hand, grief may be good, in so far as stimulatio...
E4P44 PROP. 44. Love and desire may be excessive.
E4P45 PROP. 45. Hatred can never be good.
E4P45C1 PROP. 45, Cor. 1. Envy, derision, contempt, anger, revenge, and other emotions attributable to hatred, or arising the...
E4P45C2 PROP. 45, Cor. 2. Whatsoever we desire from motives of hatred is base, and in a State unjust.
E4P46 PROP. 46. He, who lives under the guidance of reason, endeavours, as far as possible, to render back love, or...
E4P47 PROP. 47. Emotions of hope and fear cannot be in them selves good.
E4P48 PROP. 48. The emotions of over-esteem and disparagement are always bad.
E4P49 PROP. 49. Over-esteem is apt to render its object proud.
E4P50 PROP. 50. Pity, in a man who lives under the guidance of reason, is in itself bad and useless.
E4P51 PROP. 51. Approval is not repugnant to reason, but can agree therewith and arise therefrom.
E4P52 PROP. 52. Self-approval may arise from reason, and that which arises from reason is the highest possible.
E4P53 PROP. 53. Humility is not a virtue, or does not arise from reason.
E4P54 PROP. 54. Repentance is not a virtue, or does not arise from reason; but he who repents of an action is doubl...
E4P55 PROP. 55. Extreme pride or dejection indicates extreme ignorance of self.
E4P56 PROP. 56. Extreme pride or dejection indicates extreme infirmity of spirit.
E4P56C PROP. 56, Cor. Hence it most clearly follows, that the proud and the dejected specially fall a prey to the emotion...
E4P57 PROP. 57. The proud man delights in the company of , flatterers and parasites, but hates the company of the h...
E4P58 PROP. 58. Honour (gloria) is not repugnant to reason, but may arise therefrom.
E4P59 PROP. 59. To all the actions, whereto we are determined by emotion wherein the mind is passive, we can be det...
E4P60 PROP. 60. Desire arising from a pleasure or pain, that is not attributable to the whole body, but only to one...
E4P61 PROP. 61. Desire which springs from reason cannot be excessive.
E4P62 PROP. 62. In so far as the mind conceives a thing under the dictates of reason, it is affected equally, wheth...
E4P63 PROP. 63. He who is led by fear, and does good in order to escape evil, is not led by reason.
E4P63C PROP. 63, Cor. Under desire which springs from reason, we seek good directly, and shun evil indirectly.
E4P64 PROP. 64. The knowledge of evil is an inadequate knowledge.
E4P64C PROP. 64, Cor. Hence it follows that, if the human mind possessed only adequate ideas, it would form no conception...
E4P65 PROP. 65. Under the guidance of reason we should pursue the greater of two goods and the lesser of two evils.
E4P65C PROP. 65, Cor. We may, under the guidance of reason, pursue the lesser evil as though it were the greater good, an...
E4P66 PROP. 66. We may, under the guidance of reason, seek a greater good in the future in preference to a lesser g...
E4P66C PROP. 66, Cor. We may, under the guidance of reason, seek a lesser evil in the present, because it is the cause of...
E4P67 PROP. 67. A free man thinks of death least of all things; and his wisdom is a meditation not of death but of...
E4P68 PROP. 68. If men were born free, they would, so long as they remained free, form no conception of good and ev...
E4P69 PROP. 69. The virtue of a free man is seen to be as great, when it declines dangers, as when it overcomes the...
E4P69C PROP. 69, Cor. The free man is as courageous in timely retreat as in combat; or, a free man shows equal courage or...
E4P70 PROP. 70. The free man, who lives among the ignorant, strives, as far as he can, to avoid receiving favours f...
E4P71 PROP. 71. Only free men are thoroughly grateful one to another.
E4P72 PROP. 72. The free man never acts fraudently, but always in good faith.
E4P73 PROP. 73. The man, who is guided by reason, is more free in a State, where he lives under a general system of...
E4APND APPENDIX. What I have said in this Part concerning the right way of life has not...