| E3: PROP. 28. We endeavour to bring about whatsoever we conceive [imaginamur] to conduce to pleasure; but we endeavour to remove or destroy whatsoever we conceive [imaginamur] to be truly repugnant thereto, or to conduce to pain. |
| Proof.--We
endeavour, as far as possible, to conceive [imaginamur] that which we
imagine to conduce to
pleasure
(E3P12); in other words
(E2P17) we
shall endeavour to conceive [contemplari] it as far as possible as present or actually
existing. But the endeavour of the
mind, or the mind's
power of thought,
is equal to, and simultaneous with, the endeavour of the body, or the
body's power of action. (This is clear from
E2P7C and E2P11C).
Therefore we make an absolute endeavour for its existence, in other words
(which by E3P9N come to the same thing) we
desire and strive for it;
this was our first point.
Again, if we conceive [imaginamur] that something, which we believed to be the cause of pain, that is (E3P13CN), which we hate, is destroyed, we shall rejoice (E3P20). We shall, therefore (by the first part of this proof), endeavour to destroy the same, or (E3P13) to remove it from us, so that we may not regard it as present; this was our second point. Wherefore whatsoever conduces to pleasure, etc. Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P29,- E3P31C,- E3P32,- E3P35,- E3P36,- E3P38,- E3P39,- E3P39N,- E3P50N,- E3P51N,- E3P55C1N,- E4P19,- E4P37N2,- E5P19 |
| E3: PROP. 29. We shall also endeavour to do whatsoever we conceive [imaginamur] men to regard with pleasure, and contrariwise we shall shrink from doing that which we conceive [imaginamur] men to shrink from. [N.B. By "men" in this and the following propositions, I mean men whom we regard without any particular emotion.] |
| Proof.--From the fact of imagining, that men love or hate anything, we shall love or hate the same thing (E3P27). That is (E3P13CN), from this mere fact we shall feel pleasure or pain at the thing's presence. And so [by E3P28] we shall endeavour to do whatever we conceive [imaginamur] men to love or regard with pleasure, etc. Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P33,- E3P43 |
| E3: PROP. 29, Note. --This endeavour to do a thing or leave it undone, solely in order to please men, we call ambition, especially when we so eagerly endeavour to please the vulgar, that we do or omit certain things to our own or another's hurt: in other cases it is generally called kindliness. Furthermore I give the name of praise to the pleasure, with which we conceive [imaginamur] the action of another, whereby he has endeavoured to please us; but of blame to the pain wherewith we feel aversion to his action. |
| Referenced in: E3P31CN,- E3P53C,- E3DOE48,- E4P37N2 |
| E3: PROP. 30. If anyone has done something which he conceives [imaginatur] as affecting other men pleasurably, he will be affected by pleasure, accompanied by the idea of himself as cause; in other words, he will regard himself with pleasure. On the other hand, if he has done anything which he conceives [imaginatur] as affecting others painfully, he will regard himself with pain. |
| Proof.--He who conceives [imaginatur], that he affects others with pleasure or pain, will, by that very fact, himself be affected with pleasure or pain (E3P27), but, as a man (E2P19 and E2P23) is conscious of himself through the modifications whereby he is determined to action, it follows that he who conceives [imaginatur], that he affects others pleasurably, will be affected with pleasure accompanied by the idea of himself as cause; in other words, will regard himself with pleasure. And so mutatis mutandis in the case of pain. Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P34,- E3P40N,- E3P41N,- E3P43 |
| E3: PROP. 30, Note.
--As love
(E3P13CN) is
pleasure accompanied
by the idea of an external
cause, and hatred
is pain accompanied by
the idea of an external cause;
the pleasure and
pain in question will be a species of
love and
hatred.
But, as the terms love
and hatred
are used in reference to external
objects, we will employ other names for the
emotions now under discussion:
pleasure
accompanied by the idea of an external cause ["internal cause" in NS,
probable transcription error in OP] we will style
Honour,
and the emotion
contrary thereto we will style
Shame: I mean in
such cases as where
pleasure or
pain arises
from a man's belief, that he
is being praised
or blamed: otherwise
pleasure
accompanied by the idea of
an external cause is called
self-complacency,
and its contrary pain is
called repentance.
Again, as it may happen (E2P17C) that the pleasure, wherewith a man conceives [imaginatur] that he affects others, may exist solely in his own imagination, and as (E3P25) everyone endeavours to conceive [imaginari] concerning himself that which he conceives [imaginatur] will affect him with pleasure, it may easily come to pass that a vain man may be proud and may imagine that he is pleasing to all, when in reality he may be an annoyance to all. |
| Referenced in: E3P34,- E3P35,- E3P40N,- E3P41N,- E3P42,- E3DOE29,- E3DOE31 |
| E3: PROP. 31. If we conceive [imaginamur] that anyone loves, desires, or hates anything which we ourselves love, desire, or hate, we shall thereupon regard the thing in question with more steadfast love, etc. On the contrary, if we think [imaginamur] that anyone shrinks from something that we love, we shall undergo vacillation of soul. |
| Proof.--From the mere
fact of conceiving [imaginamur] that anyone loves anything we
shall ourselves love
that thing (E3P27): but we are assumed
to love it already; there is, therefore, a new cause of
love, whereby our former
emotion
is fostered; hence we shall thereupon
love it more steadfastly.
Again, from the mere fact of conceiving [imaginamur] that anyone shrinks from anything, we shall ourselves shrink from that thing (E3P27). If we assume that we at the same time love it, we shall then simultaneously love it and shrink from it; in other words, we shall be subject to vacillation (E3P17N). Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P31C,- E3P35,- E3DOE44,- E4P34N,- E4P37,- E5P20 |
| E3: PROP. 31, Corollary.--From the foregoing E3P31, and also from E3P28 it follows that everyone endeavours, as far as possible, to cause others to love what he himself loves, and to hate what he himself hates: |
|
as the poet says: "As lovers let us share every hope and every fear:
ironhearted were he who should love what the other leaves." [Ovid. Amores, 2. 19. 4, 5. Spinoza transposes the verses.] |
| Referenced in: E4P37,- E4APND19,- E5P4CN |
| E3: PROP. 31 Corollary, Note. --This endeavour to bring it about, that our own likes and dislikes should meet with universal approval, is really ambition (see E3P29N); wherefore we see that everyone by nature desires (appetere), that the rest of mankind should live according to his own individual disposition: when such a desire is equally present in all, everyone stands in everyone else's way, and in wishing to be loved or praised by all, all become mutually hateful. |
| Referenced in: E5P4CN |
| E3: PROP. 32. If we conceive [imaginamur] that anyone takes delight in something, which only one person can possess, we shall endeavour to bring it about that the man in question shall not gain possession thereof. |
| Proof.--From the mere fact of our conceiving [imaginamur] that another person takes delight in a thing (E3P27 and E3P27C1) we shall ourselves love that thing and desire to take delight therein. But we assumed that the pleasure in question would be prevented by another's delight in its object; we shall, therefore, endeavour to prevent his possession thereof (E3P28). Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P32N,- E3DOE33,- E4P34 |
| E3: PROP. 32, Note.
--We thus see that man's nature is generally so constituted, that he
takes pity
on those who fare ill, and envies those who fare well with
[by E3P32] an
amount of hatred
proportioned to his own love
for the goods in their
possession. Further, we see that from the same property of human nature,
whence it follows that men are
merciful, it follows also that they are
envious and
ambitious.
Lastly, if we make appeal to experience, we shall find that she entirely confirms what we have said; more especially if we turn our attention to the first years of our life. We find that children, whose body is continually, as it were, in equilibrium, laugh or cry simply because they see others laughing or crying; moreover, they desire forthwith to imitate whatever they see others doing, and to possess themselves whatever they conceive [imaginantur] as delighting others: inasmuch as the images of things are, as we have said, modifications of the human body, or modes wherein the human body is affected and disposed by external causes to act in this or that manner. |
| Referenced in: E3P55C1N,- E3DOE24,- E3DOE33,- E4P34 |
| E3: PROP. 33. When we love a thing similar to ourselves we endeavour, as far as we can, to bring about that it should love us in return. |
| Proof.--That which we love we endeavour, as far as we can, to conceive [imaginari] in preference to anything else (E3P12). If the thing be similar to ourselves, we shall endeavour to affect it pleasurably in preference to anything else (E3P29). In other words, we shall endeavour, as far as we can, to bring it about, that the thing should be affected with pleasure accompanied by the idea of ourselves, that is (E3P13CN), that it should love us in return. Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P34,- E3P38,- E3P42 |
| E3: PROP. 34. The greater the emotion with which we conceive [imaginamur] a loved object to be affected towards us, the greater will be our complacency. |
| Proof.--We endeavour (E3P33), as far as we can, to bring about, that what we love should love us in return: in other words [by E3P13CN], that what we love should be affected with pleasure accompanied by the idea of ourself as cause. Therefore, in proportion as the loved object is more pleasurably affected because of us, our endeavour will be assisted.--that is (E3P11 and E3P11N) the greater will be our pleasure. But when we take pleasure in the fact, that we pleasurably affect something similar to ourselves, we regard ourselves with pleasure (E3P30); therefore the greater the emotion with which we conceive [imaginamur] a loved object to be affected, etc. [see E3P30N] Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P35,- E3P42,- E3P49N |
| E3: PROP. 35. If anyone conceives [imaginatur], that an object of his love joins itself to another with closer bonds of friendship than he himself has attained to, he will be affected with hatred towards the loved object and with envy towards his rival. |
| Proof.--In proportion as a man thinks, that a loved object is well affected towards him, will be the strength of his self-approval (by the last Prop. E3P34), that is (E3P30N), of his pleasure; he will, therefore (E3P28), endeavour, as far as he can, to imagine the loved object as most closely bound to him: this endeavour or desire will be increased, if he thinks that someone else has a similar desire (E3P31). But this endeavour or desire is assumed to be checked by the image of the loved object in conjunction with the image of him whom the loved object has joined to itself; therefore (E3P11N) he will for that reason be affected with pain, accompanied by the idea of the loved object as a cause in conjunction with the image of his rival; that is, he will be (E3P13CN) affected with hatred towards the loved object and also towards his rival (E3P15C), which latter he will envy as enjoying the beloved object [by E3P23]. Q.E.D. |
| E3: PROP. 35, Note.
--This hatred towards
an object of love joined with
envy is called
Jealousy,
which accordingly is nothing else but a wavering of the
disposition arising from combined
love and
hatred, accompanied by the idea
of some rival who is envied. Further, this
hatred towards the object of
love
will be greater, in proportion to the
pleasure which the jealous man
had been wont to derive from the reciprocated
love of the said object; and
also in proportion to the feelings he had previously entertained towards
his rival. If he had hated
him, he will forthwith hate
the object of his
love
[by E3P24],
because he conceives [imaginatur] it is pleasurably affected by one whom he
himself hates:
and also [by E3P15C]]
because he is compelled to associate the
image of
his loved
one with the image of him whom he
hates.
This condition generally comes into play in the case of love for a woman: for he who thinks, that a woman whom he loves prostitutes herself to another, will feel pain, not only because his own desire is restrained, but also because, being compelled to associate the image of her he loves with the parts of shame and the excreta of another, he therefore shrinks from her. We must add, that a jealous man is not greeted by his beloved with the same joyful countenance as before, and this also gives him pain as a lover, as I will now show E3P36C. |
| Referenced in: E5P20 |
| E3: PROP. 36. He who remembers a thing, in which he has once taken delight, desires to possess it under the same circumstances as when he first took delight therein. |
| Proof.--Everything, which a man has seen in conjunction with the object of his love, will be to him accidentally a cause of pleasure (E3P15); he will, therefore [by E3P28], desire to possess it, in conjunction with that wherein he has taken delight; in other words, he will desire to possess the object of his love under the same circumstances as when he first took delight therein. Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P36C |
| E3: PROP. 36, Corollary.--A lover will, therefore, feel pain if one of the aforesaid attendant circumstances be missing. |
| Proof.--For, in so far as he finds some circumstance to be missing, he conceives [imaginatur] something which excludes its existence. As he is assumed to be desirous for love's sake of that thing or circumstance (by the last Prop. E3P36), he will, in so far as he conceives [imaginatur] it to be missing, feel pain (E3P19). Q.E.D. |
| Referenced in: E3P35N(prev) |
| E3: PROP. 36 Corollary, Note. --This pain, in so far as it has reference to the absence of the object of love, is called Regret. |
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