In Ethics, Spinoza argues that if an individual is proud, then he loves flatterers: “[a] proud person loves the presence of parasites or flatterers, and hates the presence of generous people” (4P57). In this mini essay, I trace a logical chain that connects pride to a love for flatterers.
First, if an individual is proud, then he loves that he is a cut above other people. Spinoza defines pride as “a joy that arises from a person’s false opinion that he is a cut above other people” (4P57S), and he defines love as “joy accompanied by the idea of an external cause” (DOE6). If an individual experiences a joy that arises from the false opinion that he is a cut above other people, then he experiences joy accompanied by the idea that he is a cut above other people as the external cause. If so, then he loves that he is a cut above other people. Therefore, if an individual is proud, then he loves that he is a cut above other people.
Second, if an individual is proud, then he desires for everyone to love that he is a cut above other people. If an individual is proud, then he loves that he is a cut above other people. And if the individual loves that he is a cut above other people, then he desires for everyone to love that he is a cut above other people. Spinoza argues that “each person, so far as he can, endeavours to have everyone love what he himself loves” (3P31C). Therefore, if an individual is proud, then he desires for everyone to love that he is a cut above other people.
Last, if an individual is proud, then he loves flatterers. If an individual is proud, then he desires for everyone to love that he is a cut above other people. Because flatterers appear to fulfil his desire, he experiences joy accompanied by the idea of the flatterers as the external cause, and he loves flatterers. Therefore, if an individual is proud, then he loves flatterers.