An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1: MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2Locke, John
Philosophy
An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume 1: MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books 1 and 2
Locke, John
Knowledge, Theory of -- Early works to 1800
it: and whenever a greater uneasiness than that takes place in the
mind, the will presently is by that determined to some new action, and
the present delight neglected.
41. The most pressing Uneasiness naturally determines the Will.
But we being in this world beset with sundry uneasinesses, distracted
with different desires, the next inquiry naturally will be,—Which of
them has the precedency in determining the will to the next action? and
to that the answer is,—That ordinarily which is the most pressing of
those that are judged capable of being then removed. For, the will
being the power of directing our operative faculties to some action,
for some end, cannot at any time be moved towards what is judged at
that time unattainable: that would be to suppose an intelligent being
designedly to act for an end, only to lose its labour; for so it is to
act for what is judged not attainable; and therefore very great
uneasinesses move not the will, when they are judged not capable of a
cure: they in that case put us not upon endeavours. But, these set
apart the most important and urgent uneasiness we at that time feel, is
that which ordinarily determines the will, successively, in that train
of voluntary actions which makes up our lives. The greatest present
uneasiness is the spur to action, that is constantly most felt, and for
the most part determines the will in its choice of the next action. For
this we must carry along with us, that the proper and only object of
the will is some action of ours, and nothing else. For we producing
nothing by our willing it, but some action in our power, it is there
the will terminates, and reaches no further.
42. All desire Happiness.
If it be further asked,—What it is moves desire? I answer,—happiness,
and that alone. Happiness and misery are the names of two extremes, the
utmost bounds whereof we know not; it is what be in itself good; and
what is apt to produce any degree of pain be evil; yet it often happens
that we do not call it so when it comes in competition with a greater
of its sort; because, when they come in competition, the degrees also
of pleasure and pain have justly a preference. So that if we will
rightly estimate what we call good and evil, we shall find it lies much
in comparison: for the cause of every less degree of pain, as well as
every greater degree of pleasure, has the nature of good, and vice
versa.
43. [* missing]
44. What Good is desired, what not.
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