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the ethics(part iv)-第6部分

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Note。… This is also self…evident; for; if we say that white and black only 



agree in the fact that neither is red; we absolutely affirm that the do not 



agree in any respect。 So; if we say that a man and a stone only agree in the 



fact that both are finite … wanting in power; not existing by the necessity 



of their own nature; or; lastly; indefinitely surpassed by the power of 



external causes … we should certainly affirm that a man and a stone are in 



no respect alike; therefore; things which agree only in negation; or in 



qualities which neither possess; really agree in no respect。















Prop。 XXXIII。 Men can differ in nature; 



in so far as they are assailed by those 



emotions; which are passions; or passive 



states; and to this extent one and the 



same man is variable and inconstant。







Proof。… The nature or essence of the emotions cannot be explained solely 



through our essence or nature (III:Def。i。&ii。); but it must be defined by 



the power; that is (III:vii。); by the nature of external causes in 



comparison with our own; hence it follows; that there are as many kinds of 



each emotion as there are external objects whereby we are affected 



(III:lvi。); and that men may be differently affected by one and the same 



object (III:li); and to this extent differ in nature; lastly; that one and 



the same man may be differently affected towards the same object; and may 



therefore be variable and inconstant。 Q。E。D。















Prop。 XXXIV。 In so far as men are assailed 



by emotions which are passions; they can be 



contrary one to another。







Proof。… A man; for instance Peter; can be the cause of Paul's feeling pain; 



because he (Peter) possesses something similar to that which Paul hates 



(III:xvi。); or because Peter has sole possession of a thing which Paul also 



loves (III:xxxii。&Note); or for other causes (of which the chief are 



enumerated in III:lv。Note) ; it may therefore happen that Paul should hate 



Peter (Def。 of Emotions: vii。); consequently it may easily happen also; that 



Peter should hate Paul in return; and that each should endeavour to do the 



other an injury; (III:xxxix。); that is (IV:xxx。); that they should be 



contrary one to another。 But the emotion of pain is always a passion 



or passive state (III:lix。); hence men; in so far as they are assailed by 



emotions which are passions; can be contrary one to another。 Q。E。D。







Note。… I said that Paul may hate Peter; because he conceives that Peter 



possesses something which he (Paul) also loves; from this it seems; at first 



sight; to follow; that these two men; through both loving the same thing; 



and; consequently; through agreement of their respective natures; stand in 



one another's way; if this were so; II:xxx。 and II:xxxi。 would be untrue。 



But if we give the matter our unbiased attention; we shall see that the 



discrepancy vanishes。 For the two men are not in one another's way in 



virtue of the agreement of their natures; that is; through both loving the 



same thing; but in virtue of one differing from the other。 For; in so far 



as each loves the same thing; the love of each is fostered thereby 



(III:xxxi。); that is (Def。 of the Emotions: vi。) the pleasure of each is 



fostered thereby。 Wherefore it is far from being the case; that they are 



at variance through both loving the same thing; and through the agreement 



in their natures。 The cause for their opposition lies; as I have said; 



solely in the fact that they are assumed to differ。 For we assume that 



Peter has the idea of the loved object as already in his possession; while 



Paul has the idea of the loved object as lost。 Hence the one man will be 



affected with pleasure; the other will be affected with pain; and thus they 



will be at variance one with another。 We can easily show in like manner; 



that all other causes of hatred depend solely on differences; and not on 



the agreement between men's natures。















Prop。 XXXV。 In so far only as men live 



in obedience to reason; do they always 



necessarily agree in nature。







Proof。… In so far as men are assailed by emotions that are passions; they 



can be different in nature (IV:xxxiii。); and at variance one with another。 



But men are only said to be active; in so far as they act in obedience to 



reason (III:iii。); therefore; what so ever follows from human nature in so 



far as it is defined by reason must (III:Def。ii。) be understood solely 



through human nature as its proximate cause。 But; since every man by the 



laws of his nature desires that which he deems good; and endeavours to 



remove that which he deems bad (IV:xix。); and further; since that which we; 



in accordance with reason; deem good or bad; necessarily is good 



or bad (II:xli。); it follows that men; in so far as they live in obedience 



to reason; necessarily do only such things as are necessarily good for 



human nature; and consequently for each individual man (IV:xxxi。Coroll。); 



in other words; such things as are in harmony with each man's nature。 



Therefore; men in so far as they live in obedience to reason; necessarily 



live always in harmony one with another。 Q。E。D。







Corollary I … There is no individual thing in nature; which is 



more useful to man; than a man who lives in obedience to reason。 For that 



thing is to man most useful; which is most in harmony with his nature 



(IV:xxxi。Coroll。); that is; obviously; man。 But man acts absolutely 



according to the laws of his nature; when he lives in obedience to reason 



(III:Def。ii。); and to this extent only is always necessarily in harmony 



with the nature of another man (by the last Prop。); wherefore among 



individual things nothing is more useful to man; than a man who lives in 



obedience to reason。 Q。E。D。







Corollary II。… As every man seeks most that which is useful to him; so are 



men most useful one to another。 For the more a man seeks what is useful to 



him and endeavours to preserve himself; the more is he endowed with virtue 



(IV:xx。); or; what is the same thing (IV:Def。viii。); the more is he endowed 



with power to act according to the laws of his own nature; that is to live 



in obedience to reason。 But men are most in natural harmony; when they live 



in obedience to reason (by the last Prop。); therefore (by the foregoing 



Coroll。) men will be most useful one to another; when each seeks most that 



which is useful to him。 Q。E。D。







Note。… What we have just shown is attested by experience so conspicuously; 



that it is in the mouth of nearly everyone: 〃Man is to man a God。〃 Yet it 



rarely happens that men live in obedience to reason; for things are so 



ordered among them; that they are generally envious and troublesome one to 



another。 Nevertheless they are scarcely able to lead a solitary life; 



so that the definition of man as a social animal has met with general 



assent; in fact; men do derive from social life much more convenience than 



injury。 Let satirists then laugh their fill at human affairs; let 



theologians rail; and let misanthropes praise to their utmost the life of 



untutored rusticity; let them heap contempt on men and praises on beasts; 



when all is said; they will find that men can provide for their wants much 



more easily by mutual help; and that only by uniting their forces can they 



escape from the dangers that on every side beset them: not to say how much 



more excellent and worthy of our knowledge it is; to study the actions of 



men than the actions of beasts。 But I will treat of this more at 



length elsewhere。















Prop。 XXXVI。 The highest good of those 



who follow virtue is common to all; 



and therefore all can equally rejoice 



therein。







Proof。… To act virtuously is to act in obedience with reason (IV:xxiv。); 



and whatsoever we endeavour to do in obedience to reason is to understand 



(IV:xxvi。); therefore (IV:xxviii。) the highest good for those who follow 



after virtue is to know God; that is (II:xlvii。&Note) a good which is 



common to all and can be possessed。 by all men equally; in so far as they 



are of the same nature。 Q。E。D。







Note。… Someone may ask how it would be; if the highest good of those who 



follow after virtue were not common to all? Would it not then follow; as 



above (IV:xxxiv。); that men living in obedience to reason; that is 



(IV:xxxv。); men in so far as they agree in nature; would be at variance 



one with another? To such an inquiry; I make answer; that it follows not 



accidentally but from the very nature of reason; that main's highest good 



is common to all; inasmuch as it is deduced from the very essence of man; 



in so far as defined by reason; and that a man could neither be; nor be 



conceived without the power of taking pleasure in this highest good。 For 



it belongs to the essence of the human mind (II:xlvii。); to have an 



adequate knowledge of the eternal and infinite essence of God。















Prop。 XXXVII。 The good which every man; 



who follows after virtue; desires for 



himself he will also desire for other 



men; and so much the more; in proportion 



as he has a greater knowledge of God。







Proof。… Men; in so far as they live in obedience to reason; are most 



useful to their fellow men (IV:xxxv;Coroll。i。); therefore (IV:xix。); 



we shall in obedience to reason necessarily endeavour to bring about that 



men should live in obedience to reason。 But the good which every man; in 



so far as he is guided by reason; or; in other words; follows after virtue; 



desires for himself; is to understand (IV:xxvi。); wherefore the good; which 



each follower of virtue seeks for himself; he will desire also for others。 



Again; desire; in so fa
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