| Descartes' Thoughts On Society
Descartes' comments on society are
even fewer, briefer and more scattered than those on morality. He says, love is an emotion
"which impels the soul to join itself willingly to objects that appear to be
agreeable to it." The generous person regards others as likewise well-intentioned
people of good will. "Although they often see that others do wrong in ways that show
up their weakness, they are nevertheless more inclined to excuse, than to blame them and
to regard such wrong-doing as due rather to lack of knowledge than to lack of virtuous
will."
Finally, he gives Princess Elizabeth
advice on how to be a monarch, and gives her some more maxims. He thinks a monarch
"has a virtual license to do anything" to enemies, whom he defines as "all
those who are neither friends nor allies," short of deceiving them into believing
that they are friends. "Friendship is too sacred a thing to be abused in this way;
and someone who has once feigned love for someone in order to betray him deserves to be
disbelieved and hated by those whom he afterwards genuinely wishes to love."
Considering some of these tidbits
collectively, it seems that Descartes values good social relations and a stable political
order. |
