the ethics(part iii)-第15部分

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cast　his　riches　into　the　sea；　he　will　none　the　less　remain



avaricious；　so；　also；　if　a　lustful　man　is　downcast；　because



he　cannot　follow　his　bent；　he　does　not；　on　the　ground　of



abstention；　cease　to　be　lustful。　　In　fact；　these　emotions　are



not　so　much　concerned　with　the　actual　feasting；　drinking；　&c。；



as　with　the　appetite　and　love　of　such。　　Nothing；　therefore；



can　be　opposed　to　these　emotions；　but　high…mindedness



and　valour；　whereof　I　will　speak　presently。







The　definitions　of　jealousy　and　other　waverings　of　the　mind



I　pass　over　in　silence；　first；　because　they　arise　from　the



compounding　of　the　emotions　already　described；　secondly；



because　many　of　them　have　no　distinctive　names；　which



shows　that　it　is　sufficient　for　practical　purposes　to　have



merely　a　general　knowledge　of　them。　　However；　it　is



established　from　the　definitions　of　the　emotions；　which　we



have　set　forth；　that　they　all　spring　from　desire；　pleasure；　or



pain；　or；　rather；　that　there　is　nothing　besides　these　three；



wherefore　each　is　wont　to　be　called　by　a　variety　of　names



in　accordance　with　its　various　relations　and　extrinsic　tokens。



If　we　now　direct　our　attention　to　these　primitive　emotions；



and　to　what　has　been　said　concerning　the　nature　of　the



mind；　we　shall　be　able　thus　to　define　the　emotions；　in　so



far　as　they　are　referred　to　the　mind　only。











GENERAL　DEFINITION　OF　THE　EMOTIONS







Emotion；　which　is　called　a　passivity　of　the　soul；　is　a



confused　idea；　whereby　the　mind　affirms　concerning　its



body；　or　any　part　thereof；　a　force　for　existence　（existendi



vis）　greater　or　less　than　before；　and　by　the　presence　of



which　the　mind　is　determined　to　think　of　one　thing　rather



than　another。







^^^^^ExplanationI　say；　first；　that　emotion　or　passion



of　the　soul　is　〃a　confused　idea。〃　　For　we　have　shown　that



the　mind　is　only　passive；　in　so　far　as　it　has　inadequate　or



confused　ideas。　　（III。　iii。）　　I　say；　further；　〃whereby　the　mind



affirms　concerning　its　body　or　any　part　thereof　a　force　for



existence　greater　than　before。〃　　For　all　the　ideas　of　bodies；



which　we　possess；　denote　rather　the　actual　disposition　of



our　own　body　（II。　xvi。　Cor。　ii。）　than　the　nature　of　an



external　body。　　But　the　idea　which　constitutes　the　reality



of　an　emotion　must　denote　or　express　the　disposition　of



the　body；　or　of　some　part　thereof；　because　its　power　of



action　or　force　for　existence　is　increased　or　diminished；



helped　or　hindered。　　But　it　must　be　noted　that；　when　I



say　〃a　greater　or　less　force　for　existence　than　before；〃　I



do　not　mean　that　the　mind　compares　the　present　with



the　past　disposition　of　the　body；　but　that　the　idea　which



constitutes　the　reality　of　an　emotion　affirms　something　of



the　body；　which；　in　fact；　involves　more　or　less　of　reality



than　before。







And　inasmuch　as　the　essence　of　mind　consists　in　the　fact



（II。　xi。；　xiii。）；　that　it　affirms　the　actual　existence　of　its　own



body；　and　inasmuch　as　we　understand　by　perfection　the



very　essence　of　a　thing；　it　follows　that　the　mind　passes　to



greater　or　less　perfection；　when　it　happens　to　affirm



concerning　its　own　body；　or　any　part　thereof；　something



involving　more　or　less　reality　than　before。







When；　therefore；　I　said　above　that　the　power　of　the　mind



is　increased　or　diminished；　I　merely　meant　that　the　mind



had　formed　of　its　own　body；　or　of　some　part　thereof；　an



idea　involving　more　or　less　of　reality；　than　it　had　already



affirmed　concerning　its　own　body。　　For　the　excellence　of



ideas；　and　the　actual　power　of　thinking　are　measured　by



the　excellence　of　the　object。　　Lastly；　I　have　added　〃by　the



presence　of　which　the　mind　is　determined　to　think　of　one



thing　rather　than　another；〃　so　that；　besides　the　nature　of



pleasure　and　pain；　which　the　first　part　of　the　definition



explains；　I　might　also　express　the　nature　of　desire。

























END　OF　PART　III