Book 2
5.1
Let fear be defined as a painful or troubled feeling caused by the impression of an imminent evil that causes destruction or pain; for men do not fear all evils, for instance, becoming unjust or slow-witted, but only such as involve great pain or destruction, and only if they appear to be not far off but near at hand and threatening, for men do not fear things that are very remote; all know that they have to die, but as death is not near at hand, they are indifferent.
5.2
If then this is fear, all things must be fearful that appear to have great power of destroying or inflicting injuries that tend to produce great pain. That is why even the signs of such misfortunes are fearful, for the fearful thing itself appears to be near at hand, and danger is the approach of anything fearful.
5.3
Such signs are the enmity and anger of those able to injure us in any way; for it is evident that they have the wish,By the definitions of anger and hatred. so that they are not far from doing so.
5.4
And injustice possessed of power is fearful, for the unjust man is unjust through deliberate inclination.And therefore, having the inclination to be unjust, if he has the power, he will be so.
5.5
And outraged virtue when it has power, for it is evident that it always desires satisfaction, whenever it is outraged, and now it has the power.
5.6
And fear felt by those able to injure us in any way, for such as these also must be ready to act.
5.7
And since most men are rather bad than good and the slaves of gain and cowardly in time of danger, being at the mercy of another is generally fearful, so that one who has committed a crime has reason to fear his accomplices as likely to denounce or leave him in the lurch.
