Essai philosophique concernant l’entendement humain Section S41

But we being in this world beset with sundry uneasinesses, distracted with different desires, the next inquiry naturally will be, - Which of them has the precedency in determining the will to the next action? and to that the answer is, - That ordinarily which is the most pressing of those that are judged capable of being then removed. For, the will being the power of directing our operative faculties to some action, for some end, cannot at any time be moved towards what is judged at that time unattainable: that would be to suppose an intelligent being designedly to act for an end, only to lose its labour; for so it is to act for what is judged not attainable; and therefore very great uneasinesses move not the will, when they are judged not capable of a cure: they in that case put us not upon endeavours. But, these set apart the most important and urgent uneasiness we at that time feel, is that which ordinarily determines the will, successively, in that train of voluntary actions which makes up our lives. The greatest present uneasiness is the spur to action, that is constantly most felt, and for the most part determines the will in its choice of the next action. For this we must carry along with us, that the proper and only object of the will is some action of ours, and nothing else. For we producing nothing by our willing it, but some action in our power, it is there the will terminates, and reaches no further.

Si l’on demande, outre cela, Ce que c’eſt qui excite le deſir, je répons que c’eſt le Bonheur, & rien autre choſe. Le Bonheur & la Miſére ſont des noms de deux extrémitez dont les derniéres bornes nous ſont inconnuës : * C’eſt ce que l’œuil n’a point vû, que l’oreille n’a point entendu, & que le cœur de l’Homme n’a jamais compris. Mais il ſe fait en nous de vives impreſſions de l’un & de l’autre, par différentes eſpèces de ſatisfaction & de joye, de tourment & de chagrin, que je comprendrai, pour abreger, ſous le nom de Plaiſir & de Douleur, qui conviennent, l’un & l’autre, à l’Eſprit auſſi bien qu’au Corps, ou qui, pour parler exactement, n’appartiennent qu’à l’Eſprit, quoi que tantôt ils prennent leur origine dans l’Eſprit à l’occaſion de certaines penſées, à tantôt dans le Corps à l’occaſion de certaines modifications du mouvement.