Baruch Spinoza quote about desire from Ethics - Ambition is the immoderate desire of power.
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Ambition is the immoderate desire of power.
 Baruch Spinoza, Ethics (1677). copy citation

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Author Baruch Spinoza
Source Ethics
Topic desire ambition power
Date 1677
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by R. H. M. Elwes
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3800/3800-h/3800-h.htm

Context

“Concerning cowardice and daring, see III. LI. note.
XLIII. Courtesy, or deference (Humanitas seu modestia), is the desire of acting in a way that should please men, and refraining from that which should displease them.
XLIV. Ambition is the immoderate desire of power.
Explanation—Ambition is the desire, whereby all the emotions (cf. III. XXVII. and xxxi.) are fostered and strengthened; therefore this emotion can with difficulty be overcome. For, so long as a man is bound by any desire, he is at the same time necessarily bound by this.” source

Meaning and analysis

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