E4P57S
Scholium — Part IV
Latin
Nimis longum foret hic omnia superbiæ mala enumerare quandoquidem omnibus affectibus obnoxii sunt superbi sed nullis minus quam affectibus amoris et misericordiæ. Sed hic minime tacendum est quod ille etiam superbus vocetur qui de reliquis minus justo sentit atque adeo hoc sensu superbia definienda est quod sit lætitia orta ex falsa opinione quod homo se supra reliquos esse putat. Et abjectio huic superbiæ contraria definienda esset tristitia orta ex falsa opinione quod homo se infra reliquos esse credit. At hoc posito facile concipimus superbum necessario esse invidum (vide scholium propositionis 55 partis III) et eos maxime odio habere qui maxime ob virtutes laudantur nec facile eorum odium amore aut beneficio vinci (vide scholium propositionis 41 partis III) et eorum tantummodo præsentia delectari qui animo ejus impotenti morem gerunt et ex stulto insanum faciunt. Abjectio quamvis superbiæ sit contraria, est tamen abjectus superbo proximus. Nam quandoquidem ejus tristitia ex eo oritur quod suam impotentiam ex aliorum potentia seu virtute judicat, levabitur ergo ejus tristitia hoc est lætabitur si ejus imaginatio in alienis vitiis contemplandis occupetur, unde illud proverbium natum: solamen miseris socios habuisse malorum; et contra eo magis contristabitur quo se magis infra reliquos esse crediderit; unde fit ut nulli magis ad invidiam sint proni quam abjecti et ut isti maxime hominum facta observare conentur ad carpendum magis quam ad eadem corrigendum et ut tandem solam abjectionem laudent eaque glorientur sed ita ut tamen abjecti videantur. Atque hæc ex hoc affectu tam necessario sequuntur quam ex natura trianguli quod ejus tres anguli æquales sint duobus rectis et jam dixi me hos et similes affectus malos vocare quatenus ad solam humanam utilitatem attendo. Sed naturæ leges communem naturæ ordinem cujus homo pars est, respiciunt; quod hic in transitu monere volui ne quis putaret me hic hominum vitia et absurda facta narrare, non autem rerum naturam et proprietates demonstrare voluisse. Nam ut in præfatione partis tertiæ dixi, humanos affectus eorumque proprietates perinde considero ac reliqua naturalia. Et sane humani affectus si non humanam, naturæ saltem potentiam et artificium non minus indicant quam multa alia quæ admiramur quorumque contemplatione delectamur. Sed pergo de affectibus ea notare quæ hominibus utilitatem adferunt vel quæ iisdem damnum inferunt.
English (Elwes 1883)
It would be too long a task to enumerate here all the evil results of pride, inasmuch as the proud are a prey to all the emotions, though to none of them less than to love and pity. I cannot, however, pass over in silence the fact, that a man may be called proud from his underestimation of other people; and, therefore, pride in this sense may be defined as pleasure arising from the false opinion, whereby a man may consider himself superior to his fellows. The dejection, which is the opposite quality to this sort of pride, may be defined as pain arising from the false opinion, whereby a man may think himself inferior to his fellows. Such being the ease, we can easily see that a proud man is necessarily envious (III. xli. note), and only takes pleasure in the company, who fool his weak mind to the top of his bent, and make him insane instead of merely foolish.
Though dejection is the emotion contrary to pride, yet is the dejected man very near akin to the proud man. For, inasmuch as his pain arises from a comparison between his own infirmity and other men's power or virtue, it will be removed, or, in other words, he will feel pleasure, if his imagination be occupied in contemplating other men's faults; whence arises the proverb, "The unhappy are comforted by finding fellow--sufferers." Contrariwise, he will be the more pained in proportion as he thinks himself inferior to others; hence none are so prone to envy as the dejected, they are specially keen in observing men's actions, with a view to fault--finding rather than correction, in order to reserve their praises for dejection, and to glory therein, though all the time with a dejected air. These effects follow as necessarily from the said emotion, as it follows from the nature of a triangle, that the three angles are equal to two right angles. I have already said that I call these and similar emotions bad, solely in respect to what is useful to man. The laws of nature have regard to nature's general order, whereof man is but a part. I mention this, in passing, lest any should think that I have wished to set forth the faults and irrational deeds of men rather than the nature and properties of things. For, as I said in the preface to the third Part, I regard human emotions and their properties as on the same footing with other natural phenomena. Assuredly human emotions indicate the power and ingenuity, of nature, if not of human nature, quite as fully as other things which we admire, and which we delight to contemplate. But I pass on to note those qualities in the emotions, which bring advantage to man, or inflict injury upon him.
Modern English
It would take too long to enumerate all the harms of pride here, since proud people are susceptible to every affect — but to none less than to love and compassion. Still, this cannot pass without mention: a person is also called proud when he thinks less of others than is right. In this sense pride can be defined as joy arising from the false opinion that one stands above others. And the opposite of this pride, dejection, would be defined as sadness arising from the false opinion that one stands below others.
Given this, we can easily see that a proud man is necessarily envious (E3P55S), and that he most hates those who are most praised for their virtues. His hatred is not easily overcome by love or kindness (E3P41S). He takes pleasure only in the company of those who feed his weak mind and turn a fool into a madman.
Though dejection is the opposite of pride, a dejected person is nevertheless very close to the proud one. His sadness arises from judging his own weakness by comparing it with others’ power or virtue, and so his sadness is relieved — that is, he feels joy — when his imagination is occupied with contemplating the faults of others. Hence the proverb: misery loves company. Conversely, he grows the more sad the more he thinks himself inferior to others. This is why none are more prone to envy than the dejected, and why they are especially keen to observe others’ actions — to find fault rather than to correct it — and why in the end they praise only dejection and glory in it, though still appearing dejected. These things follow from this affect as necessarily as it follows from the nature of a triangle that its three angles equal two right angles.
I have already said that I call these and similar affects bad insofar as I attend only to human utility. But the laws of nature concern the common order of nature, of which man is a part. I mention this in passing, lest anyone think I wished to narrate the vices and absurd deeds of men rather than demonstrate the nature and properties of things. For as I said in the Preface to Part 3, I regard human affects and their properties exactly as I regard other natural things. Human affects, if not the power of human nature, certainly indicate the power and artistry of nature no less than many other things we admire and delight in contemplating. But I continue to note those things about the affects that bring utility to human beings or do them harm.