the ethics(part v)- 第7部分

lusts；　and　that　they　cede　their　rights；　in　so　far　as　they　are　bound　to　live



according　to　the　commandments　of　the　divine　law。　They　therefore　believe　that



piety；　religion；　and；　generally；　all　things　attributable　to　firmness　of



mind；　are　burdens；　which；　after　death；　they　hope　to　lay　aside；　and　to



receive　the　reward　for　their　bondage；　that　is；　for　their　piety；　and



religion；　it　is　not　only　by　this　hope；　but　also；　and　chiefly；　by　the　fear　of



being　horribly　punished　after　death；　that　they　are　induced　to　live　according



to　the　divine　commandments；　so　far　as　their　feeble　and　infirm　spirit　will



carry　them。







If　men　had　not　this　hope　and　this　fear；　but　believed　that　the　mind　perishes



with　the　body；　and　that　no　hope　of　prolonged　life　remains　for　the　wretches



who　are　broken　down　with　the　burden　of　piety；　they　would　return　to　their　own



inclinations；　controlling　everything　in　accordance　with　their　lusts；　and



desiring　to　obey　fortune　rather　than　themselves。　Such　a　course　appears　to　me



not　less　absurd　than　if　a　man；　because　he　does　not　believe　that　he　can　by



wholesome　food　sustain　his　body　for　ever；　should　wish　to　cram　himself　with



poisons　and　deadly　fare；　or　if；　because　he　sees　that　the　mind　is　not　eternal



or　immortal；　he　should　prefer　to　be　out　of　his　mind　altogether；　and　to　live



without　the　use　of　reason；　these　ideas　are　so　absurd　as　to　be　scarcely　worth



refuting。











Prop。　XLII。　Blessedness　is　not　the　reward　of　virtue；　but　virtue



itself　；　neither　do　we　rejoice　therein；　because　we　control　our



lusts；　but；　contrariwise；　because　we　rejoice　therein；　we　are　able



to　control　our　lusts。







Proof。…　Blessedness　consists　in　love　towards　God　（V：xxxvi。　and　Note）；　which



love　springs　from　the　third　kind　of　knowledge　（V：xxxii。Coroll。）；　therefore



this　love　（III：iii。　and　III：lix。）　must　be　referred　to　the　mind；　in　so　far　as



the　latter　is　active；　therefore　（IV：Def。viii。）　it　is　virtue　itself。



This　was　our　first　point。　Again；　in　proportion　as　the　mind　rejoices　more　in



this　divine　love　or　blessedness；　so　does　it　the　more　understand　（V：xxxii。）；



that　is　（V：iii。Coroll。）；　so　much　the　more　power　has　it　over　the　emotions；



and　（V：xxxviii。）　so　much　the　less　is　it　subject　to　those　emotions



which　are　evil；　therefore；　in　proportion　as　the　mind　rejoices　in　this　divine



love　or　blessedness；　so　has　it　the　power　of　controlling　lusts。　And；　since



human　power　in　controlling　the　emotions　consists　solely　in　the



understanding；　it　follows　that　no　one　rejoices　in　blessedness；　because　he



has　controlled　his　lusts；　but；　contrariwise；　his　power　of　controlling　his



lusts　arises　from　this　blessedness　itself。　Q。E。D。







Note。…　I　have　thus　completed　all　I　wished　to　set　forth　touching　the　mind's



power　over　the　emotions　and　the　mind's　freedom。　Whence　it　appears；　how



potent　is　the　wise　man；　and　how　much　he　surpasses　the　ignorant　man；　who　is



driven　only　by　his　lusts。　For　the　ignorant　man　is　not　only　distracted　in



various　ways　by　external　causes　without　ever　gaining；　the　true　acquiescence



of　his　spirit；　but　moreover　lives；　as　it　were　unwitting　of　himself；　and　of



God；　and　of　things；　and　as　soon　as　he　ceases　to　suffer；　ceases　also　to　be。







Whereas　the　wise　man；　in　so　far　as　he　is　regarded　as　such；　is　scarcely　at



all　disturbed　in　spirit；　but；　being　conscious　of　himself；　and　of　God；　and　of



things；　by　a　certain　eternal　necessity；　never　ceases　to　be；　but　always



possesses　true　acquiescence　of　his　spirit。







If　the　way　which　I　have　pointed　out　as　leading　to　this　result　seems



exceedingly　hard；　it　may　nevertheless　be　discovered。　Needs　must　it　be　hard；



since　it　is　so　seldom　　found。　How　would　it　be　possible；　if　salvation　were



ready　to　our　hand；　and　could　without　great　labour　be　found；　that　it　should



be　by　almost　all　men　neglected？　But　all　things　excellent　are　as



difficult　as　they　are　rare。























End　of　Part　V。