Moral essays. With an English translation by J.W. Basore

ON ANGER, II. IV. l-v. 3That you may know, further, how the passionsbegin, grow, and run riot, I may say that the J irstpromptings isJiLYoluntary, a preparation for passiion,as it werej_and^asort of rnenace ; the next is combinedwith an act of volition, although not an unruly one,which assumes jthat it is right for me to avengemyself because I have been injured, or that it isright for the other person to be punished becausehe has committed a crime ; the tliird prompting isnow beyond control, in that it wishes to take vengeance,not if it is right to do so, but whether or no,and has utterly vanquished reason. We can nomore avoid by the use of reason that first shockwhich the mind experiences than we can avoidthose effects mentioned before which the bodyexperiences—the temptation to yawn when anotheryawns, and \\'inking when fingers are suddenly pointedtoward the eyes. Such impulses cannot be overcomeby reason, although perchance practice and constantwatchfulness will weaken them. Different is thatprompting which is born of the judgement, isbanished by the judgement.This point also must now be considered, ^vhetherthosejffho are habitually cruel and rejoice in humanblood are angrywhen tKev kill people from whomthej[_haye_neither received injury nor think eventhemselvesjthat they have received one ; of suchsort were Apollodorus " and Phalaris." But this isnot anger, it is brutahty ; for it does not harmbecause it has received an injur}', but it is evenready to receive one provided that it can harm, andits purpose in desiring to beat and to mangle is notvengeance but pleasure. And why does it happen ?The source of this evil is anger, and when anger from- — — 175