BENEDICT DE SPINOZA: Theological-Political Treatise

Theological-Political Treatise
are to some degree subject to the sovereign power, which has various ways
to ensure that a very large part of the people believes, loves, hates, etc.,
what the sovereign wants them to. Our conclusion from this has to be that
whilst this result does not ensue from a direct edict of the government, it
nevertheless does follow from the e¡ect of the sovereign’s power and leadership,
that is, by virtue of its right, as experience abundantly proves.
Thus, without any logical contradiction, we can conceive of men who
believe, love, hate, despise, or exhibit any passion whatever, owing to the
power of the state alone.
203 [3] Although we can envisage a quite extensive power and right of government,
therefore, it will still never be so great that those who hold it will
exert all the power they need to do whatever they want, as I think I have
shown plainly enough. I have already said it is not my intention to show
how, despite this, a state could be formed that would be securely preserved
for ever. Rather, so as to reach my own goal, I will point out what divine
revelation formerly taught Moses in this connection, and then we shall
examine the history and vicissitudes of the Hebrews. We shall see from
their experience what particular concessions sovereign powers must make
to their subjects for the greater security and success of their state.
[4] Durability of a state, reason and experience very clearly teach,
depends chie£y upon the loyalty of its subjects, their virtue and their
constancy in executing commands; but it is not so easy to ascertain inwhat
way they can be helped to keep up their loyalty andvirtue consistently. Both
rulers and ruled are human, that is, beings ‘always inclined to prefer pleasure
to toil’. 2 Anyone with any experience of the capricious mind of the
multitude almost despairs of it, as it is governed not by reason but by
passion alone, it is precipitate in everything, and very easily corrupted by
greed or good living. Each person thinks he alone knows everything and
wants everything done his way and judges a thing fair or unfair, right or
wrong, to the extent he believes it works for his own gain or loss. From
pride they condemn their equals, and will not allow themselves to be ruled
by them. Envious of a greater reputation or better fortune which are never
equal for all, they wish ill towards other men and delight in that.
2 Terence, Andria [The Woman of Andros], 77^78: ingenium est omnium hominum ab labore proclive
ad lubidinem‘human nature being always inclined to prefer pleasure to toil’ (Terence,The Woman of
Andros,The Self-Tormentor,The Eunuch, ed. and trans. John Barsby (Cambridge, MA, 2001)).
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