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.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Ethics [Part V], by Benedict de Spinoza