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Single Idea 4857

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / f. Compassion ]

Full Idea

Pity is a pain, and is therefore in itself bad; only at the dictation of reason are we able to perform any action, which we know for certain to be good; thus, in a man who lives under the guidance of reason, pity in itself is useless and bad.

Gist of Idea

Pity is a bad and useless thing, as it is a pain, and rational people perform good deeds without it

Source

Baruch de Spinoza (The Ethics [1675], IV Pr 50)

Book Ref

Spinoza,Benedict de: 'Ethics, Improvement of Understanding, Letters', ed/tr. Elwes,R [Dover 1955], p.221

A Reaction

This is the essence of both Kant's and Bentham's views. It is, however, unclear why a wholly rational and unfeeling person should be motivated to prevent other people's pain. It also don't think it follows that because it is painful it is bad.

The 20 ideas with the same theme [sympathetic concern for others' pain]:

5857 The young feel pity from philanthropy, but the old from self-concern [Aristotle]
5890 We should not share the distress of others, but simply try to relieve it [Cicero]
4022 Epictetus says we should console others for misfortune, but not be moved by pity [Epictetus, by Taylor,C]
23365 If someone is weeping, you should sympathise and help, but not share his suffering [Epictetus]
17219 A person unmoved by either reason or pity to help others is rightly called 'inhuman' [Spinoza]
4857 Pity is a bad and useless thing, as it is a pain, and rational people perform good deeds without it [Spinoza]
17218 People who live according to reason should avoid pity [Spinoza]
17223 Pity is not a virtue, but at least it shows a desire to live uprightly [Spinoza]
19766 The fact that we weep (e.g. in theatres) shows that we are naturally compassionate [Rousseau]
7674 Generosity and pity are vices, because they falsely imply one person's superiority to another [Kant, by Berlin]
2879 In ancient Rome pity was considered neither good nor bad [Nietzsche]
4425 The overcoming of pity I count among the noble virtues [Nietzsche]
4275 You cannot advocate joyful wisdom while rejecting pity, because the two are complementary [Scruton on Nietzsche]
4407 Plato, Spinoza and Kant are very different, but united in their low estimation of pity [Nietzsche]
20112 Pity consoles those who suffer, because they see that they still have the power to hurt [Nietzsche]
14821 Apart from philosophers, most people rightly have a low estimate of pity [Nietzsche]
18328 Invalids are parasites [Nietzsche]
21026 Compassion is unreliable, because it favours people close to us [Nussbaum]
23118 Awareness of others' suffering doesn't create an obligation to help [Kekes]
4283 Sympathy can undermine the moral order just as much as crime does [Scruton]