the ethics(part v)- 第3部分

simultaneous　concurrent　causes　whereby　it　is　aroused。







Proof。…　Many　simultaneous　causes　are　more　powerful　than　a　few　（III：vii。）：



therefore　（IV：v。）；　in　proportion　to　the　increased　number　of　simultaneous



causes　whereby　it　is　aroused；　an　emotion　becomes　stronger。　Q。E。D。







Note。…　This　proposition　is　also　evident　from　V：Ax。ii。







Prop。IX。　An　emotion；　which　is　attributable　to　many　and　diverse



causes　which　the　mind　regards　as　simultaneous　with　the　emotion



itself；　is　less　hurtful；　and　we　are　less　subject　thereto　and　less



affected　towards　each　of　its　causes；　than　if　it　were　a　different　and



equally　powerful　emotion　attributable　to　fewer　causes　or　to　a



single　cause。







Proof…。　An　emotion　is　only　bad　or　hurtful；　in　so　far　as　it　hinders　the　mind



from　being　able　to　think　（IV：xxvi。；　IV：xxvii。）；　therefore；　an　emotion；



whereby　the　mind　is　determined　to　the　contemplation　of　several　things　at



once；　is　less　hurtful　than　another　equally　powerful　emotion；　which　so



engrosses　the　mind　in　the　single　contemplation　of　a　few　objects　or　of　one；



that　it　is　unable　to　think　of　anything　else；　this　was　our　first　point。



Again；　as　the　mind's　essence；　in　other　words；　its　power　（III：vii。）；　consists



solely　in　thought　（II：xi。）；　the　mind　is　less　passive　in　respect　to　an



emotion；　which　causes　it　to　think　of　several　things　at　once；　than　in　regard



to　an　equally　strong　emotion；　which　keeps　it　engrossed　in　the　contemplation



of　a　few　or　of　a　single　object：　this　was　our　second　point。　Lastly；　this



emotion　（III：xlviii。）；　in　so　far　as　it　is　attributable　to　several　causes；　is



less　powerful　in　regard　to　each　of　them。　Q。E。D。











Prop。X。　So　long　as　we　are　not　assailed　by　emotions　contrary　to



our　nature；　we　have　the　power　of　arranging　and　associating　the



modifications　of　our　body　according　to　the　intellectual　order。







Proof。…　The　emotions；　which　are　contrary　to　our　nature；　that　is　（IV：xxx。）；



which　are　bad；　are　bad　in　so　far　as　they　impede　the　mind　from　understanding



（IV：xxvii。）。　So　long；　therefore；　as　we　are　not　assailed　by　emotions　contrary



to　our　nature；　the　mind's　power；　whereby　it　endeavours　to　understand　things



（IV：xxvi。）；　is　not　impeded；　and　therefore　it　is　able　to　form　clear　and



distinct　ideas　and　to　deduce　them　one　from　another　（II：xl。Note。ii。　and



II：xlvii。Note）；　consequently　we　have　in　such　cases　the　power　of　arranging



and　associating　the　modifications　of　the　body　according　to　the　intellectual



order。　Q。E。D。







Note。…　By　this　power　of　rightly　arranging　and　associating　the　bodily



modifications　we　can　guard　ourselves　from　being　easily　affected　by　evil



emotions。　For　（V：vii。）　a　greater　force　is　needed　for　controlling　the



emotions；　when　they　are　arranged　and　associated　according　to　the



intellectual　order；　than　when　they；　are　uncertain　and　unsettled。　The　best　we



can　do；　therefore；　so　long　as　we　do　not　possess　a　perfect　knowledge　of　our



emotions；　is　to　frame　a　system　of　right　conduct；　or　fixed　practical



precepts；　to　commit　it　to　memory；　and　to　apply　it　forthwith　to　the



particular　circumstances　which　now　and　again　meet　us　in　life；　so　that　our



imagination　may　become　fully　imbued　therewith；　and　that　it　may　be　always



ready　to　our　hand。　For　instance；　we　have　laid　down　among　the　rules　of　life



（IV：xlvi。；　&　Note）；　that　hatred　should　be　overcome　with　love　or　high…



mindedness；　and　not　required　with　hatred　in　return。　Now；　that　this　precept



of　reason　may　be　always　ready　to　our　hand　in　time　of　need；　we　should　often



think　over　and　reflect　upon　the　wrongs　generally　committed　by　men；　and　in



what　manner　and　way　they　may　be　best　warded　off　by　high…mindedness：　we　shall



thus　associate　the　idea　of　wrong　with　the　idea　of　this　precept；　which



accordingly　will　always　be　ready　for　use　when　a　wrong　is　done　to　us



（II：xviii。）。　If　we　keep　also　in　readiness　the　notion　of　our　true



advantage；　and　of　the　good　which　follows　from　mutual　friendships；　and　common



fellowships；　further；　if　we　remember　that　complete　acquiescence　is　the



result　of　the　right　way　of　life　（IV：lii。）；　and　that　men；　no　less　than



everything　else；　act　by　the　necessity　of　their　nature：　in　such　case　I　say



the　wrong；　or　the　hatred；　which　commonly　arises　therefrom；　will　engross　a



very　small　part　of　our　imagination　and　will　be　easily　overcome；　or；　if　the



anger　which　springs　from　a　grievous　wrong　be　not　overcome　easily；　it　will



nevertheless　be　overcome；　though　not　without　a　spiritual　conflict；　far



sooner　than　if　we　had　not　thus　reflected　on　the　subject　beforehand。　As　is



indeed　evident　from　V：vi。；V：vii。；V：viii。　We　should；　in　the　same　way；　reflect



on　courage　as　a　means　of　overcoming　fear；　the　ordinary　dangers　of　life



should　frequently　be　brought　to　mind　and　imagined；　together　with　the　means



whereby　through　readiness　of　resource　and　strength　of　mind　we　can　avoid　and



overcome　them。　But　we　must　note；　that　in　arranging　our　thoughts　and



conceptions　we　should　always　bear　in　mind　that　which　is　good　in　every



individual　thing　（IV：lxiii。Coroll。　and　III：lix。）；　in　order　that　we　may



always　be　determined　to　action　by　an　emotion　of　pleasure。　For　instance；　if



a　man　sees　that　he　is　too　keen　in　the　pursuit　of　honour；　let　him　think　over



its　right　use；　the　end　for　which　it　should　be　pursued；　and　the　means　whereby



he　may　attain　it。　Let　him　not　think　of　its　misuse；　and　its　emptiness；　and



the　fickleness　of　mankind；　and　the　like；　whereof　no　man　thinks　except



through　a　morbidness　of　disposition；　with　thoughts　like　these　do　the



most　ambitious　most　torment　themselves；　when　they　despair　of　gaining　the



distinctions　they　hanker　after；　and　in　thus　giving　vent　to　their　anger　would



fain　appear　wise。　Wherefore　it　is　certain　that　those；　who　cry　out　the



loudest　against　the　misuse　of　honour　and　the　vanity　of　the　world；　are　those



who　most　greedily　covet　it。　This　is　not　peculiar　to　the　ambitious；　but　is



common　to　all　who　are　ill…used　by　fortune；　and　who　are　infirm　in　spirit。



For　a　poor　man　also；　who　is　miserly；　will　talk　incessantly　of　the　misuse　of



wealth　and　of　the　vices　of　the　rich；　whereby　he　merely　torments　himself；　and



shows　the　world　that　he　is　intolerant；　not　only　of　his　own　poverty；　but　also



of　other　people's　riches。　So；　again；　those　who　have　been　ill　received　by　a



woman　they　love　think　of　nothing　but　the　inconstancy；　treachery；　and　other



stock　faults　of　the　fair　sex；　all　of　which　they　consign　to　oblivion；



directly　they　are　again　taken　into　favour　by　their　sweetheart。　Thus　he　who



would　govern　his　emotions　and　appetite　solely　by　the　love　of　freedom



strives；　as　far　as　he　can；　to　gain　a　knowledge　of　the　virtues　and　their



causes；　and　to　fill　his　spirit　with　the　joy　which　arises　from　the　true



knowledge　of　them：　he　will　in　no　wise　desire　to　dwell　on　men's　faults；　or　to



carp　at　his　fellows；　or　to　revel　in　a　false　show　of　freedom。　Whosoever　will



diligently　observe　and　practise　these　precepts　（which　indeed　are　not



difficult）　will　verily；　in　a　short　space　of　time；　be　able；　for　the　most



part；　to　direct　his　actions　according　to　the　commandments　of　reason。











Prop。XI。　In　proportion　as　a　mental　image　is　referred　to　more



objects；　so　is　it　more　frequent；　or　more　often　vivid；　and　occupies



the　mind　more。







Proof。…　In　proportion　as　a　mental　image　or　an　emotion　is　referred　to　more



objects；　so　are　there　more　causes　whereby　it　can　be　aroused　and　fostered；



all　of　which　（by　hypothesis）　the　mind　contemplates　simultaneously　in



association　with　the　given　emotion；　therefore　the　emotion　is　more　frequent；



or　is　more　often　in　full　vigour；　and　（V：viii。）　occupies　the　mind　more。



Q。E。D。











Prop。XII。　The　mental　images　of　things　are　more　easily



associated　with　the　images　referred　to　things　which　we　clearly



and　distinctly　understand；　than　with　others。







Proof。…　Things；　which　we　clearly　and　distinctly　understand；　are　either　the



common　properties　of　things　or　deductions　therefrom　（see　definition　of



Reason；　II：。xl。Note　ii。）；　and　are　consequently　（by　the　last　Prop。）　more



often　aroused　in　us。　Wherefore　it　may　more　readily　happen；　that　we　should



contemplate　other　things　in　conjunction　with　these　than　in　conjunction　with



something　else；　and　consequently　（II：xviii。）　that　the　images　of　the　said



things　should　be　more　often　associated　with　the　images　of　these　than　with



the　images　of　something　else。　Q。E。D。











Prop。　XIII。　A　mental　image　is　more　often　vivid；　in　proportion



as　it　is　associated　with　a　greater　number　of　other　images。







Proof。…　In　proportion　as　an　image　is　associated　with　a　greater　number　of



other　images；　so　（II：xviii。）　are　there　more　causes　whereby　it　can　be



aroused。　Q。E。D。











Prop。　XIV。　The　mind　can　bring　it　about；　that　all　bodily



modifications　or　images　of　things　may　be　referred　to　the



idea　of　God。







Proof。…　There　is　no　modification