3p32sc.md (1040B)
1 We thus see that man's nature is generally so 2 constituted, that he takes pity on those who fare ill, and envies 3 those who fare well with an amount of hatred proportioned to his 4 own love for the goods in their possession. Further, we see that 5 from the same property of human nature, whence it follows that 6 men are merciful, it follows also that they are envious and 7 ambitious. Lastly, if we make appeal to Experience, we shall 8 find that she entirely confirms what we have said; more 9 especially if we turn our attention to the first years of our 10 life. We find that children, whose body is continually, as it 11 were, in equilibrium, laugh or cry simply because they see others 12 laughing or crying; moreover, they desire forthwith to imitate 13 whatever they see others doing, and to possess themselves of 14 whatever they conceive as delighting others: inasmuch as the 15 images of things are, as we have said, modifications of the human 16 body, or modes wherein the human body is affected and disposed by 17 external causes to act in this or that manner. 18 19