Note 1- He who, guided by emotion only, endeavours to cause others to love
what he loves himself, and to make the rest of the world live according to
his own fancy, acts solely by impulse, and is, therefore, hateful,
especially, to those who take delight in something different, and
accordingly study and, by similar impulse, endeavour, to make men live in
accordance with what pleases themselves. Again, as the highest good sought
by men under the guidance of emotion is often such, that it can only be
possessed by a single individual, it follows that those who love it are not
consistent in their intentions, but, while they delight to sing its praises,
fear to be believed. But he, who endeavours to lead men by reason, does not
act by impulse but courteously and kindly, and his intention is always
consistent. Again, whatsoever we desire and do, whereof we are the cause
in so far as we possess the idea of God, or know God, I set down to
Religion. The desire of well-doing, which is engendered by a life
according to reason, I call piety. Further, the desire, whereby a
man living according to reason is bound to associate others with
himself in friendship, I call honour (Honestas); by honourable I mean
that which is praised by men living according to reason, and by base
I mean that which is repugnant to the gaining of friendship. I have also
shown in addition what are the foundations of a state; and the difference
between true ,virtue and infirmity may be readily gathered from what I
have said; namely, that true virtue is nothing else but living in
accordance with reason; while infirmity is nothing else but man's
allowing himself to be led by things which are external to himself,
and to be by them determined to act in a manner demanded by the general
disposition of things rather than by his own nature considered solely
in itself.
Such are the matters which I engaged to prove in IV:xviii., whereby it
is plain that the law against the slaughtering of animals is founded rather
on vain superstition and womanish pity than on sound reason. The rational
quest of what is useful to us further teaches us the necessity of
associating ourselves with our fellow men, but - not with beasts, or things,
whose nature is different from our own; we have the same rights in respect
to them as they have in respect to us. Nay, as everyone's right is defined
by his virtue, or power, men have far greater rights over beasts than
beasts have over men. Still I do not deny that beasts feel: what I deny is,
that we may not consult our own advantage and use them as we please,
treating them in the way which best suits us; for their nature is not like
ours, and their emotions are naturally different from human emotions
(III:Ivii.Note). It remains for me to explain what I mean by, just and
unjust, sin and merit. On these points see the following note.
Note II.- In the Appendix to Part I. I undertook to explain praise and
blame, merit and sin, justice and injustice.