Atthesametime,sofarasmyexperiencegoes,Ihavenohesitationinansweringthequestioninthenegative。Consideragainthecaseofhunger;
Icertainlydonotfindhungerasanelementofmynormallifeatallapainfulfeeling:itonlybecomespainfulwhenIaminillhealth,orwhenthesatisfactionoftheappetiteisabnormallydelayed。And,generallyspeaking,anydesirethatisnotfelttobethwartedinitsprimaryimpulsetoactionstendingtoitssatisfaction,isnotonlynotitselfapainfulfeeling——evenwhenthisattainmentisstillremote——butisoftenanelementofastateofconsciousnesswhichasawholeishighlypleasurable。Indeed,thepleasuresaffordedbytheconsciousnessofeageractivity,inwhichdesireisanessentialelement,constituteaconsiderableiteminthetotalenjoymentoflife。Itisalmostacommonplacetosaythatsuchpleasures,whichwemaycallgenerallythepleasuresofPursuit,aremoreimportantthanthepleasuresofAttainment:andinmanycasesitistheprospectoftheformerratherthanofthelatterthatinducesustoengageinapursuit。Insuchcasesitispeculiarlyeasytodistinguishthedesiretoattaintheobjectpursued,fromadesireofthepleasureofattainment:
sincetheattainmentonlybecomespleasantinprospectbecausethepursuititselfstimulatesadesireforwhatispursued。Take,forexample,thecaseofanygamewhichinvolves——asmostgamesdo——acontestforvictory。
Noordinaryplayerbeforeenteringonsuchacontest,hasanydesireforvictoryinit:indeedheoftenfindsitdifficulttoimaginehimselfderivinggratificationfromsuchvictory,beforehehasactuallyengagedinthecompetition。Whathedeliberately,beforethegamebegins,desiresisnotvictory,butthepleasantexcitementofthestruggleforit;onlyforthefulldevelopmentofthispleasureatransientdesiretowinthegameisgenerallyindispensable。Thisdesire,whichdoesnotexistatfirst,isstimulatedtoconsiderableintensitybythecompetitionitself:andinproportionasitisthusstimulatedboththemerecontestbecomesmorepleasurable,andthevictory,whichwasoriginallyindifferent,comestoaffordakeenenjoyment。
Thesamephenomenonisexhibitedinthecaseofmoreimportantkindsofpursuit。Thusitoftenhappensthataman,feelinghislifelanguidanddevoidofinterests,beginstooccupyhimselfintheprosecutionofsomescientificorsociallyusefulwork,forthesakenotoftheendbutoftheoccupation。Atfirst,verylikely,theoccupationisirksome:butsoon,asheforesaw,adesiretoattaintheendatwhichheaimsisstimulated,partlybysympathywithotherworkers,partlybyhissustainedexerciseofvoluntaryeffortdirectedtowardsit;
sothathispursuit,becomingeager,becomesalsoasourceofpleasure。
Here,again,itisnodoubttruethatinproportionashisdesirefortheendgrowsstrong,theattainmentofitbecomespleasantinprospect:butitwouldbeapalpablemistaketosaythatthisprospectivepleasureistheobjectofthedesirethatcausesit。[6]
Whenwecomparethesepleasureswiththosepreviouslydiscussed,anotherimportantobservationsuggestsitself。intheformercase,thoughwecoulddistinguishappetite,asitappearsinconsciousness,fromthedesireofthepleasureattendingthesatisfactionofappetite,thereappearedtobenoincompatibilitybetweenthetwo。Thefactthatagluttonisdominatedbythedesireofthepleasuresofeatinginnowayimpedesthedevelopmentinhimoftheappetitewhichisanecessaryconditionofthesepleasures。Butwhenweturntothepleasuresofpursuit,weseemtoperceivethisincompatibilitytoacertainextent:acertainsubordinationofself-regardseemstobenecessaryinordertoobtainfullenjoyment。
Amanwhomaintainsthroughoutanepicureanmood,keepinghismainconsciousaimperpetuallyfixedonhisownpleasure,doesnotcatchthefullspiritofthechase;hiseagernessnevergetsjustthesharpnessofedgewhichimpartstothepleasureitshighestzest。HerecomesintoviewwhatwemaycallthefundamentalparadoxofHedonism,thattheimpulsetowardspleasure,iftoopredominant,defeatsitsownaim。Thiseffectisnotvisible,oratanyrateisscarcelyvisible,inthecaseofpassivesensualpleasures。
Butofouractiveenjoymentsgenerally,whethertheactivitiesonwhichtheyattendareclassedas`bodily’oras`intellectual’aswellasofmanyemotionalpleasures,itmaycertainlybesaidthatwecannotattainthem,atleastintheirhighestdegree,solongaswekeepourmainconsciousaimconcentrateduponthem。Itisnotonlythattheexerciseofourfacultiesisinsufficientlystimulatedbythemeredesireofthepleasureattendingit,andrequiresthepresenceofothermoreobjective,`extra-regarding’,impulses,inordertobefullydeveloped:wemaygofurtherandsaythattheseotherimpulsesmustbetemporarilypredominantandabsorbing,iftheexerciseanditsattendantgratificationaretoattaintheirfullscope。
Manymiddle-agedEnglishmenwouldmaintaintheviewthatbusinessismoreagreeablethanamusement;buttheywouldhardlyfinditsoiftheytransactedthebusinesswithaperpetualconsciousaimattheattendantpleasure。
Similarly,thepleasuresofthoughtandstudycanonlybeenjoyedinthehighestdegreebythosewhohaveanardourofcuriositywhichcarriesthemindtemporarilyawayfromselfanditssensations。InallkindsofArt,again,theexerciseofthecreativefacultyisattendedbyintenseandexquisitepleasures:butitwouldseemthatinordertogetthem,onemustforgetthem:thegenuineartistatworkseemstohaveapredominantandtemporarilyabsorbingdesirefortherealisationofhisidealofbeauty。
TheimportantcaseofthebenevolentaffectionsisatfirstsightsomewhatmoredoubtfulOntheonehanditisofcoursetrue,thatwhenthosewhomwelovearepleasedorpained,weourselvesfeelsympatheticpleasureandpain:andfurther,thattheflowofloveorkindlyfeelingisitselfhighlypleasurable。Sothatitisatleastplausibletointerpretbenevolentactionsasaimingultimatelyattheattainmentofoneorbothofthesetwokindsofpleasures,orattheavertingofsympatheticpainfromtheagent。Butwemayobserve,first,thattheimpulsetobeneficentactionproducedinusbysympathyisoftensomuchoutofproportiontoanyactualconsciousnessofsympatheticpleasureandpaininourselves,thatitwouldbeparadoxicaltoregardthislatterasitsobject。Oftenindeedwecannotbutfeelthatataleofactualsufferingarousesinusanexcitementonthewholemorepleasurablethanpainful,liketheexcitementofwitnessingatragedy;andyetatthesametimestirsinusanimpulsetorelieveit,evenwhentheprocessofrelievingispainfulandlaboriousandinvolvesvarioussacrificesofourownpleasures。Again,wemayoftenfreeourselvesfromsympatheticpainmosteasilybymerelyturningourthoughtsfromtheexternalsufferingthatcausesit:andwesometimesfeelanegoisticimpulsetodothis,whichwecanthendistinguishclearlyfromtheproperlysympatheticimpulsepromptingustorelievetheoriginalsuffering。
Andfinally,themuch-commendedpleasuresofbenevolenceseemtorequire,inordertobefeltinanyconsiderabledegree,thepre-existenceofadesiretodogoodtoothersfortheirsakeandnotforourown。AsHutchesonexplains,wemaycultivatebenevolentaffectionforthesakeofthepleasuresattendingitjustasthegluttoncultivatesappetite,butwecannotproduceitatwill,howeverstrongmaybeourdesireofthesepleasures:andwhenitexists,eventhoughitmayoweitsorigintoapurelyegoisticimpulse,itisstillessentiallyadesiretodogoodtoothersfortheirsakeandnotforourown。
Itcannotperhapsbesaidthattheself-abandonmentandself-forgetfulness,whichseemedanessentialconditionofthefulldevelopmentoftheotherelevatedimpulsesbeforenoticed,characterisebenevolentaffectionnormallyandpermanently;aslove,whenapowerfulemotion,seemsnaturallytoinvolveadesireforreciprocatedlove,stronginproportiontotheintensityoftheemotion;andthustheconsciousnessofselfandofone’sownpleasuresandpainsseemsoftenheightenedbytheveryintensityoftheaffectionthatbindsonetoothers。Stillwemayatleastsaythatthisself-suppressionandabsorptionofconsciousnessinthethoughtofotherhumanbeingsandtheirhappinessisacommonincidentofallstrongaffections:anditissaidthatpersonswholoveintenselysometimesfeelasenseofantagonismbetweentheegoisticandaltruisticelementsoftheirdesire,andanimpulsetosuppresstheformer,whichoccasionallyexhibitsitselfinactsoffantasticandextravagantself-sacrifice。
Ifthenreflectiononourmoralconsciousnessseemstoshowthat``thepleasureofvirtueisonewhichcanonlybeobtainedontheexpressconditionofitsnotbeingtheobjectsought’’,[7]weneednotdistrustthisresultofobservationonaccountoftheabnormalnatureofthephenomenon。Wehavemerelyanotherillustrationofapsychologicallaw,which,aswehaveseen,isexemplifiedthroughoutthewholerangeofourdesires。InthepromptingsofSensenolessthaninthoseofIntellectorReasonwefindthephenomenonofstrictlydisinterestedimpulse:baseandtrivialexternalendsmayexcitedesiresofthiskind,aswellasthesublimeandideal:andtherearepleasuresofthemerelyanimallifewhichcanonlybeobtainedonconditionofnotbeingdirectlysought,nolessthanthesatisfactionsofagoodconscience。
SofarIhavebeenconcernedtoinsistonthefeltincompatibilityof`self-regarding’and`extra-regarding’impulsesonlyasameansofprovingtheiressentialdistinctness。Idonotwishtooverstatethisincompatibility:Ibelievethatmostcommonlyitisverytransient,andoftenonlymomentary,andthatourgreatesthappiness——ifthatbeourdeliberateaim——isgenerallyattainedbymeansofasortofalternatingrhythmofthetwokindsofimpulseinconsciousness。Aman’sconsciousdesireis,Ithink,moreoftenthannotchieflyextra-regarding;
butwherethereisstrongdesireinanydirection,thereiscommonlykeensusceptibilitytothecorrespondingpleasures;andthemostdevotedenthusiastissustainedinhisworkbytherecurrentconsciousnessofsuchpleasures。
Butitisimportanttopointoutthatthefamiliarandobviousinstancesofconflictbetweenself-loveandsomeextra-regardingimpulsearenotparadoxesandillusionstobeexplainedaway,butphenomenawhichtheanalysisofourconsciousnessinitsnormalstate,whenthereisnosuchconflict,wouldleadustoexpect。Ifwearecontinuallyactingfromimpulseswhoseimmediateobjectsaresomethingotherthanourownhappiness,itisquitenaturalthatweshouldoccasionallyyieldtosuchimpulseswhentheypromptustoanuncompensatedsacrificeofpleasure。Thusamanofweakself-control,afterfastingtoolong,mayeasilyindulgehisappetiteforfoodtoanextentwhichheknowstobeunwholesome:andthatnotbecausethepleasureofeatingappearstohim,eveninthemomentofindulgence,atallworthyofconsiderationincomparisonwiththeinjurytohealth;butmerelybecausehefeelsanimpulsetoeatfood,whichprevailsoverhisprudentialjudgment。
Thus,again,menhavesacrificedalltheenjoymentsoflife,andevenlifeitself,toobtainposthumousfame:notfromanyillusorybeliefthattheywouldbesomehowcapableofderivingpleasurefromit,butfromadirectdesireofthefutureadmirationofothers,andapreferenceofittotheirownpleasure。Andso,again,whenthesacrificeismadeforsomeidealend,asTruth,orFreedom,orReligion:itmaybearealsacrificeoftheindividual’shappiness,andnotmerelythepreferenceofonehighlyrefinedpleasureoroftheabsenceofonespecialpaintoalltheotherelementsofhappiness。Nodoubtthispreferenceispossible;amanmayfeelthatthehighandseveredelightofservinghisidealisa``pearlofgreatprice’’outweighinginvalueallotherpleasures。Buthemayalsofeelthatthesacrificewillnotrepayhim,andyetdeterminethatitshallbemade。
Tosumup:ourconsciousactiveimpulsesaresofarfrombeingalwaysdirectedtowardstheattainmentofpleasureoravoidance,ofpainforourselves,thatwecanfindeverywhereinconsciousnessextra-regardingimpulses,directedtowardssomethingthatisnotpleasure,norrelieffrompain;and,indeed,amostimportantpartofourpleasuredependsupontheexistenceofsuchimpulses:whileontheotherhandtheyareinmanycasessofarincompatiblewiththedesireofourownpleasurethatthetwokindsofimpulsedonoteasilycoexistinthesamemomentofconsciousness;andmoreoccasionallybutbynomeansrarelythetwocomeintoirreconcilableconflict,andprompttooppositecoursesofaction。Andthisincompatibilitythoughitisimportanttonoticeitinotherinstancesisnodoubtspeciallyprominentinthecaseoftheimpulsetowardstheendwhichmostmarkedlycompetesinethicalcontroversywithpleasure:theloveofvirtueforitsownsake,ordesiretodowhatisrightassuch。
第10章