Leviathan eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 732 pages of information about Leviathan.

Leviathan eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 732 pages of information about Leviathan.

Impudence
The Contempt of good reputation is called impudence.

Pitty Griefe, for the calamity of another is pitty; and ariseth from the imagination that the like calamity may befall himselfe; and therefore is called also compassion, and in the phrase of this present time a fellow-Feeling:  and therefore for Calamity arriving from great wickedness, the best men have the least Pitty; and for the same Calamity, those have least Pitty, that think themselves least obnoxious to the same.

Cruelty Contempt, or little sense of the calamity of others, is that which men call cruelty; proceeding from Security of their own fortune.  For, that any man should take pleasure in other mens’ great harmes, without other end of his own, I do not conceive it possible.

Emulation Envy Griefe, for the success of a Competitor in wealth, honour, or other good, if it be joyned with Endeavour to enforce our own abilities to equal or exceed him, is called emulation:  but joyned with Endeavour to supplant or hinder a Competitor, ENVIE.

Deliberation When in the mind of man, Appetites and Aversions, Hopes and Feares, concerning one and the same thing, arise alternately; and divers good and evill consequences of the doing, or omitting the thing propounded, come successively into our thoughts; so that sometimes we have an Appetite to it, sometimes an Aversion from it; sometimes Hope to be able to do it; sometimes Despaire, or Feare to attempt it; the whole sum of Desires, Aversions, Hopes and Feares, continued till the thing be either done, or thought impossible, is that we call deliberation.

Therefore of things past, there is no Deliberation; because manifestly impossible to be changed:  nor of things known to be impossible, or thought so; because men know, or think such Deliberation vaine.  But of things impossible, which we think possible, we may Deliberate; not knowing it is in vain.  And it is called deliberation; because it is a putting an end to the Liberty we had of doing, or omitting, according to our own Appetite, or Aversion.

This alternate succession of Appetites, Aversions, Hopes and Feares is no less in other living Creatures than in Man; and therefore Beasts also Deliberate.

Every Deliberation is then sayd to End when that whereof they Deliberate, is either done, or thought impossible; because till then wee retain the liberty of doing, or omitting, according to our Appetite, or Aversion.

The Will In Deliberation, the last Appetite, or Aversion, immediately adhaering to the action, or to the omission thereof, is that wee call the will; the Act, (not the faculty,) of Willing.  And Beasts that have Deliberation must necessarily also have Will.  The Definition of the Will, given commonly by the Schooles, that it is a Rationall Appetite, is not good.  For if it were, then could there be no Voluntary

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Leviathan from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.