The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 03 (of 11) — Thomas Hobbes — John Shaqi
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 03 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
Of appetites and aversions, some are born with men; as appetite of food,
appetite of excretion, and exoneration, which may also and more properly
be called aversions, from somewhat they feel in their bodies; and some
other appetites, not many. The rest, which are appetites of particular
things, proceed from experience, and trial of their effects upon
themselves or other men. For of things we know not at all, or believe
not to be, we can have no further desire, than to taste and try. But
aversion we have for things, not only which we know have hurt us, but
also that we do not know whether they will hurt us, or not.
[Sidenote: Contempt.]
Those things which we neither desire, nor hate, we are said to
_contemn_; CONTEMPT being nothing else but an immobility, or contumacy
of the heart, in resisting the action of certain things; and proceeding
from that the heart is already moved otherwise, by other more potent
objects; or from want of experience of them.
And because the constitution of a man’s body is in continual mutation,
it is impossible that all the same things should always cause in him the
same appetites, and aversions: much less can all men consent, in the
desire of almost any one and the same object.
[Sidenote: Good.]
But whatsoever is the object of any man’s appetite or desire, that is it
which he for his part calleth _good_: [Sidenote: Evil.] and the object
of his hate and aversion, _evil_; and of his contempt, _vile_ and
_inconsiderable_. For these words of good, evil, and contemptible, are
ever used with relation to the person that useth them: there being
nothing simply and absolutely so; nor any common rule of good and evil,
to be taken from the nature of the objects themselves; but from the
person of the man, where there is no commonwealth; or, in a
commonwealth, from the person that representeth it; or from an
arbitrator or judge, whom men disagreeing shall by consent set up, and
make his sentence the rule thereof.
[Sidenote: Pulchrum.]
[Sidenote: Turpe.]