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can overcome the rest of a man's activities or 



power; so that the emotion becomes obstinately 



fixed to him。 







Proof。… The force and increase of any passion and its persistence in 



existing are defined by the power of an external cause compared with 



our own (by the foregoing Prop。); therefore (IV:iii。) it can overcome a 



man's power; &e。 Q。E。D。















Prop。 VII。 An emotion can only be controlled 



or destroyed by another emotion contrary 



thereto; and with more power for controlling 



emotion。







Proof。… Emotion; in so far as it is referred to the mind; is an idea; 



whereby the mind affirms of its body a greater or less force of existence 



than before (cf。 the general Definition of the Emotions at the end of 



Part III。) When; therefore; the mind is assailed by any emotion; the 



body is at the same time affected with a modification whereby its power 



of activity is increased or diminished。 Now this modification of the body 



(IV:v。) receives from its cause the force for persistence in its being; 



which force can only be checked or destroyed by a bodily cause (II:vi。); 



in virtue of the body being affected with a modification contrary to 



(III:v。) and stronger than itself (IV。Ax。); wherefore (II:xii。) the mind 



is affected by the idea of a modification contrary to; and stronger than 



the former modification; in other words; (by the general definition 



of the emotions) the mind will be affected by an emotion contrary to and 



stronger than the former emotion; which will exclude or destroy the 



existence of the former emotion; thus an emotion cannot be destroyed nor 



controlled except by a contrary and stronger emotion。 Q。E。D。







Corollary。… An emotion; in so far as it is referred to the mind; can 



only be controlled or destroyed through an idea of a modification of 



the body contrary to; and stronger than; that which we are undergoing。 



For the emotion which we undergo can only be checked or destroyed by an 



emotion contrary to; and stronger than; itself; in other words; (by the 



general Definition of the Emotions) only by an idea of a modification 



of the body contrary to; and stronger than; the modification which we 



undergo。















Prop。 VIII。 The knowledge of good and evil 



is nothing else but the emotions of pleasure 



or pain; in so far as we are conscious 



thereof。







Proof。… We call a thing good or evil; when it is of service or the 



reverse in preserving our being (IV:Def。i。&。ii。); that is (III:vii。); 



when it increases or diminishes; helps or hinders; our power of activity。 



Thus; in so far as we perceive that a thing affects us with pleasure or 



pain; we call it good or evil; wherefore the knowledge of good and evil 



is nothing else but the idea of the pleasure or pain; which necessarily 



follows from that pleasurable or painful emotion (II:xxii。)。 But this idea 



is united to the emotion in the same way as mind is united to body 



(II:xxi。); that is; there is no real distinction between this idea and 



the emotion or idea of the modification of the body; save in conception 



only。 Therefore the knowledge of good and evil is nothing else but the 



emotion; in so far as we are conscious thereof。 Q。E。D。















Prop。 IX。 An emotion; whereof we conceive 



the cause to be with us at the present time; 



is stronger than if we did not conceive the 



cause to be with us。







Proof。… Imagination or conception is the idea; by which the mind regards 



a thing as present (II:xvii。note); but which indicates the disposition of 



the mind rather than the nature of the external thing (II:xvi。Coroll。ii)。 



An emotion is therefore a conception; in so far as it indicates the 



disposition of the body。 But a conception (by II:xvii。) is stronger; 



so long as we conceive nothing which excludes the present existence 



of the external object; wherefore an emotion is also stronger or more 



intense; when we conceive the cause to be with us at the present time; 



than when we do not conceive the cause to be with us。 Q。E。D。







Note。… When I said above in III:xviii。 that we are affected by the image 



of what is past or future with the same emotion as if the thing conceived 



were present; I expressly stated; that this is only true in so far as we 



look solely to the image of the thing in question itself ; for the thing's 



nature is unchanged; whether we have conceived it or not; I did not deny 



that the image becomes weaker; when we regard as present to us other 



things which exclude the present existence of the future object: I did 



not expressly call attention to the fact; because I purposed to treat 



of the strength of the emotions in this part of my work。







Corollary。… The image of something past or future; that is; of a thing 



which we regard as in relation to time past or time future; to the 



exclusion of time present; is; when other conditions are equal; weaker 



than the image of something present; consequently an emotion felt towards 



what is past or future is less intense; other conditions being equal; 



than an emotion felt towards something present。















Prop。 X。 Towards something future; which we 



conceive as close at hand; we are affected 



more intensely; than if we conceive that 



its time for existence is separated from 



the present by a longer interval; so too 



by the remembrance of what we conceive to 



have not long passed away we are affected 



more intensely; than if we conceive that 



it has long passed away。 







Proof。… In so far as we conceive a thing as close at hand; or not long 



passed away; we conceive that which excludes the presence of the object 



less; than if its period of future existence were more distant from the 



present; or if it had long passed away (this is obvious) therefore (by the 



foregoing Prop。) we are; so far; more intensely affected towards it。 Q。E。D。







Corollary。… From the remarks made in IV:Def。vi。 of this part it follows 



that; if objects are separated from the present by a longer period than 



we can define in conception; though their dates of occurrence be widely 



separated one from the other; they all affect us equally faintly。















Prop。 XI。 An emotion towards that which 



we conceive as necessary is; when other 



conditions are equal; more intense than 



an emotion towards that which impossible; 



or contingent; or non…necessary。







Proof。… In so far as we conceive a thing to be necessary; we; to that 



extent; affirm its existence; on the other hand we deny a thing's 



existence; in so far as we conceive it not to be necessary :xxxiii。note。i。); 



wherefore (IV。ix。) an emotion towards that which is necessary is; other 



conditions being equal; more intense than an emotion that which is 



non…necessary。 Q。E。D。















Prop。 XII。 An emotion towards a thing; 



which we know not to exist at the present 



time; and which we conceive as possible; 



is more intense; other conditions being 



equal; than an emotion towards a thing 



contingent。







Proof。… In so far as we conceive a thing as contingent; we are affected 



by the conception of some further thing; which would assert the existence 



of the former (IV:Def。iii。); but; on the other hand; we (by hypothesis) 



conceive certain things; which exclude its present existence。 But; in 



so far as we conceive a thing to be possible in the future; we there by 



conceive things which assert its existence (IV:iv。); that is (III:xviii。); 



things which promote hope or fear: wherefore an emotion towards something 



possible is more vehement。 Q。E。D。







Corollary。… An emotion towards a thing; which we know not to exist in the 



present; and which we conceive as contingent; is far fainter; than if we 



conceive the thing to be present with us。







Proof。… Emotion towards a thing; which we conceive to exist; is more 



intense than it would be; if we conceived the thing as future V:ix。Coroll。); 



and is much more vehement; than if the future time be conceived as far 



distant from the present (IV:x。)。 Therefore an emotion towards a thing; 



whose period of existence we conceive to be far distant from the present; 



is far fainter; than if we conceive the thing as present; it is; 



nevertheless; more intense; than if we conceived the thing as contingent; 



wherefore an emotion towards a thing; which we regard as contingent; 



will be far fainter; than if we conceived the thing to be present with us。 



Q。E。D。















Prop。 XIII。 Emotion towards a thing contingent; 



which we know not to exist in the present; is; 



other conditions being equal; fainter than an 



emotion towards a thing past。







Proof。… In so far as we conceive a t

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