Pride and Humility on Superphysics

The Violent Passions as Direct and Indirect

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

All the mind’s perceptions may be divided into impressions and ideas.

The impressions can be further divided into original and secondary.

This division is the same as the impressions of sensation and reflection (Book 1, Part 1, Sec. 2).

Original impressions are impressions of sensation.

The Objects and Causes of Pride and Humility

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pride [ego] and humility [shame] are:

simple and uniform impressions
directly contrary, but have the self as the object

The self is the succession of related ideas and impressions that we are intimately aware of.

The Principles of Pride and Humility

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The object of a passion is different from its cause.

Pride [ego] and humility [shame] have the self for their object through a natural and original property.

The Relations Of Impressions And Ideas

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

We have established 2 truths easily:

The causes of pride and humility are natural
Each different cause is adapted to its passion by a similar principle

How can we:

reduce these principles fewer
find among the causes some common origin of their influence?

The following properties of human nature influence our passions.

The Relations of Pride [Ego] and Humility [Shame] to the Self

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

My principles are based on experience.

The causes of pride [ego] and humility [shame] concur to produce pain and pleasure, independent of pride and humility [shame].

The Ego comes from the double relation of Ideas and Impressions of Objects to the Self

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pride [ego] or humility [shame] is derived from this double relation of ideas and impressions.

An idea is easily converted into its correlative impression which resembles and matches it.

This transition is easier when

Limitations Of This System

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The association of ideas and impressions makes:

all agreeable objects related to ourselves produce pride
all disagreeable objects produce humility

These create limitations for pride [ego] and humility [shame].

Other Limitations of My System

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Limitation 3. The pleasant or painful object is very discernible and obvious to ourselves and others.

This has an effect on joy and pride, like limitations 1 and 2.

We feel happier, more virtuous or beautiful, when we appear so to others.

Vice And Virtue

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

With these requirements [limitations], we can:

examine the causes of pride and humility.
see whether in every case we can discover the double relations by which they operate on the passions.

There will be no further scruple with the present system if we find that all these causes:

Beauty and Deformity

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The body is connected with us to form one of the double relations which causes pride [ego] and humility [shame] whether we consider the body as:

a part of ourselves, or
something external.

Pride or humility arises whenever the other relation of impressions join the relation of ideas.

External Advantages And Disadvantages

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Many other objects which produce pride or humility besides our inherent beauty or ugliness.

Family Relations

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Men are also vain of:

the climate they were born in
the fertility of their native soil
the goodness of the wines, fruits or victuals, produced by it
the softness or force of their language

These objects:

Property And Riches

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The relation of property most commonly produces pride and is the closest to it.

Ownership is a relation between a person and an object which permits him its free use and possession [that excludes others].

The Doctrine of Free Will

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The error of distinguishing power from its actual use is not all caused by the scholastic doctrine of free-will.

According to that doctrine, motives do not:

The Pleasure from Riches

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All men desire pleasure.

Desire will exist when there is no external obstacle to produce pleasure.

Men perceive no danger in following their inclinations.

In that case their imagination easily:

The Love Of Fame

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The secondary causes of pride and humility in the opinions of others has an equal influence on the affections.

Our reputation, character, and name are considerations of vast weight and importance.

The Love Of Fame

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This strongly confirms my:

system on the understanding
system on the passions

This is because these are analogous to each other.

When we sympathize with the passions of others, these movements:

The Pride And Humility Of Animals

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The causes of pride and humility correspond exactly to our hypothesis.

Nothing can excite pride or humility unless it:

is related to ourselves
produces a pleasure or pain independent of the passion.

We have proven that: