4M DOCTRINE OF THE PASSIONS.. always happily distinguished by those words and names, which have been commonly applied to them. When we treat of any subject, we must for the most part take the names of things as we find them, for there is no possibility of making . the bulk of man- kind for whom we write, change their usual forms of speech, in order to obtain a more philosophical exactness. The next primi- tive passions therefore, I continue to call love and hatred. Love, in general, implies some approbation of, or propensity towards what appears to us as good : Hatred, is a disapprobation of, or aversion to what appears to us as evil. But the words good and evil, in human languages, being extended to a vast variety of different objects, the names of love and hatred, but especially love, have been used in as great a variety of signifi- cations, and are become very equivocal words, that is, words of many meanings. And therefore, I take love and hatred, here, in so general a sense, as may be applied to all those passions which arise from the several objects, which may be called good or evil. In this general sense therefore, the word good may signify any thing that we can look upon with esteem, with good-will, or with delight ; and evil may be extended to mean whatsoever we view with contempt, with ill-will, or with disgust : And hence arises the second rank of general or primitive passions, viz. esteem and contempt, good-will and ill-will, delight and disgust, all which are but different kinds of love and hatred. SECT. VI.Esteem and Contempt. The first sort of love is called esteem, and its opposite is contempt. I grant'that these words, esteem and contempt, may be sometimes used to signify a calm and sedate judgment of the mind, concerning the objects which areeither valuable or worth- less. Yet if we will enter into ourselves, and consider our own inward sensations, and what passes within us, we shall find that when we esteem or despise any thing, in a high degree, it will cause some ferment of the blood and natural spirits, or some commotion in animal nature. I know some writers have ruade esteem and contempt to be species of Admiration : But there are several reasons for which I think they are much better ranked under love and hatred, especially since they suppose Some degree of good or evil, that is worthiness or unworthiness. in the object,' Esteem is that passion which arises from the mere conside- ration of some excellency, or something that is valuable in an object, and it belongs either to persons or things, Contempt arises from the mere consideration of a worthless object, and especially if it be proposed to us with a pretence of excellency in }t. 8o we esteem a goodpicture and the hand that drew it, or a
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=