The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 04 (of 11) — John Shaqi
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 04 (of 11)Hobbes, Thomas
Philosophy
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 04 (of 11)
Hobbes, Thomas
Philosophy, English -- 17th century
3. It happeneth sometimes, that he that hath a _good_ opinion of
himself, and upon good ground, may nevertheless, by reason of the
_frowardness_ which that passion begetteth, discover in himself some
_defect_ or infirmity, the remembrance whereof dejecteth him; and
this passion is called _shame_; by which being cooled and checked in
his frowardness, he is more wary for the time to come. This passion,
as it is a sign of _infirmity_, which is _dishonour_; so also it is
a sign of _knowledge_, which is _honour_. The sign of it is
_blushing_, which appeareth less in men conscious of their own
defect, because they less betray the infirmities they acknowledge.
[Sidenote: Courage.]
4. _Courage_, in a _large_ signification, is the _absence_ of _fear_
in the presence of any evil whatsoever: but in a _strict_ and more
common meaning, it is _contempt_ of _wounds_ and _death_, when they
oppose a man in the way to his end.
[Sidenote: Anger.]
5. _Anger_ or sudden courage is nothing but the _appetite_ or desire
of _overcoming present_ opposition. It hath been defined commonly to
be grief proceeding from an opinion of contempt; which is confuted
by the often experience which we have of being moved to anger by
things inanimate, and without sense, and consequently incapable of
contemning us.
[Sidenote: Revengefulness.]
6. _Revengefulness_ is that passion which ariseth from an
expectation or _imagination_ of _making_ him that hath _hurt_ us,
_find_ his _own action hurtful_ to himself, and to _acknowledge_ the
same; and this is the height of revenge: for though it be not hard,
by returning evil for evil, to make one’s adversary displeased with
his own fact; yet to make him acknowledge the same, is so difficult,
that many a man had rather die than do it. Revenge aimeth not at the
death, but at the captivity or subjection of an enemy; which was
well expressed in the exclamation of Tiberius Cæsar, concerning one,
that, to frustrate his revenge, had killed himself in prison; _Hath
he escaped me?_ To _kill_, is the aim of them that _hate_, to _rid_
themselves out of fear: _revenge_ aimeth at _triumph_, which over
the dead is not.
[Sidenote: Repentance.]
7. _Repentance_ is the passion which proceedeth from _opinion_ or
knowledge that the _action_ they have done is _out of the way_ to
the _end_ they would attain: the effect whereof is, to pursue that
way no longer, but, by the consideration of the end, to direct
themselves into a better. The first motion therefore in this passion
is _grief_; but the expectation or conception of returning again
into the way, is _joy_; and consequently, the passion of
_repentance_ is compounded and allayed of both: but the
_predominant_ is _joy_; else were the whole grief, which cannot be,
forasmuch as he that proceedeth towards the end, he conceiveth good,
proceedeth with appetite; and appetite is joy, as hath been said,
chapter VII. section 2.
[Sidenote: Hope, despair, diffidence.]
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