Wisdom worth sharing, words worth remembering.
Love of our neighbour then has just the same respect to is no more distant from self-love than hatred of our neighbour or than love or hatred of anything else.
The principle we call self-love never seeks anything external for the sake of the thing but only as a means of happiness or good: particular affections rest in the external things themselves.
The sum of the whole is plainly this: The nature of man considered in his single capacity and with respect only to the present world is adapted and leads him to attain the greatest happiness he can for himself in the present world.
Every man hath a general desire of his own happiness and likewise a variety of particular affections passions and appetites to particular external objects.
Happiness or satisfaction consists only in the enjoyment of those objects which are by nature suited to our several particular appetites passions and affections.
Happiness does not consist in self-love.
Compassion is a call a demand of nature to relieve the unhappy as hunger is a natural call for food.
The private interest of the individual would not be sufficiently provided for by reasonable and cool self-love alone therefore the appetites and passions are placed within as a guard and further security without which it would not be taken due care of.