“WhatprofithathamanofallhislabourwhichhetakethundertheSun？Ilookedonalltheworksthatmyhandshadwrought，andbehold，allwasvanityandvexationofspirit。Forthatwhichbefalleththesonsofmenbefallethbeasts；astheonedieth，sodieththeother，allareofthedust，andallturntodustagain……Thedeadknownotanything，neitherhavetheyanymoreareward；forthememoryofthemisforgotten。Alsotheirloveandtheirhatredandtheirenvyisnowperished；
neitherhavetheyanymoreaportionforeverinanythingthatisdoneundertheSun……Trulythelightissweet，andapleasantthingitisfortheeyestobeholdtheSun：butifamanlivemanyyearsandrejoiceinthemall，yetlethimrememberthedaysofdarkness；fortheyshallbemany。”
Inshort，lifeanditsnegationarebeatenupinextricablytogether。Butifthelifebegood，thenegationofitmustbebad。Yetthetwoareequallyessentialfactsofexistence；andallnaturalhappinessthusseemsinfectedwithacontradiction。
Thebreathofthesepulchresurroundsit。
Toamindattentivetothisstateofthingsandrightlysubjecttothejoy-destroyingchillwhichsuchacontemplationengenders，theonlyreliefthathealthy-mindednesscangiveisbysaying：
“Stuffandnonsense，getoutintotheopenair！”or“Cheerup，oldfellow，you’llbeallrighterelong，ifyouwillonlydropyourmorbidness！”Butinallseriousness，cansuchbaldanimaltalkasthatbetreatedasarationalanswer？Toascribereligiousvaluetomerehappy-go-luckycontentmentwithone’sbriefchanceatnaturalgoodisbuttheveryconsecrationofforgetfulnessandsuperficiality。OurtroubleslieindeedtoodeepforTHATcure。ThefactthatweCANdie，thatweCANbeillatall，iswhatperplexesus；thefactthatwenowforamomentliveandarewellisirrelevanttothatperplexity。Weneedalifenotcorrelatedwithdeath，ahealthnotliabletoillness，akindofgoodthatwillnotperish，agoodinfactthatfliesbeyondtheGoodsofnature。
Italldependsonhowsensitivethesoulmaybecometodiscords。
“ThetroublewithmeisthatIbelievetoomuchincommonhappinessandgoodness。”saidafriendofminewhoseconsciousnesswasofthissort，“andnothingcanconsolemefortheirtransiency。Iamappalledanddisconcertedatitsbeingpossible。”Andsowithmostofus：alittlecoolingdownofanimalexcitabilityandinstinct，alittlelossofanimaltoughness，alittleirritableweaknessanddescentofthepain-threshold，willbringthewormatthecoreofallourusualspringsofdelightintofullview，andturnusintomelancholymetaphysicians。Theprideoflifeandgloryoftheworldwillshrivel。Itisafterallbutthestandingquarrelofhotyouthandhoaryeld。Oldagehasthelastword：thepurelynaturalisticlookatlife，howeverenthusiasticallyitmaybegin，issuretoendinsadness。
Thissadnessliesattheheartofeverymerelypositivistic，agnostic，ornaturalisticschemeofphilosophy。Letsanguinehealthy-mindednessdoitsbestwithitsstrangepoweroflivinginthemomentandignoringandforgetting，stilltheevilbackgroundisreallytheretobethoughtof，andtheskullwillgrininatthebanquet。Inthepracticallifeoftheindividual，weknowhowhiswholegloomorgleeaboutanypresentfactdependsontheremoterschemesandhopeswithwhichitstandsrelated。Itssignificanceandframinggiveitthechiefpartofitsvalue。Letitbeknowntoleadnowhere，andhoweveragreeableitmaybeinitsimmediacy，itsglowandgildingvanish。Theoldman，sickwithaninsidiousinternaldisease，maylaughandquaffhiswineatfirstaswellasever，butheknowshisfatenow，forthedoctorshaverevealedit；andtheknowledgeknocksthesatisfactionoutofallthesefunctions。
Theyarepartnersofdeathandthewormistheirbrother，andtheyturntoamereflatness。
Thelustreofthepresenthourisalwaysborrowedfromthebackgroundofpossibilitiesitgoeswith。Letourcommonexperiencesbeenvelopedinaneternalmoralorder；letoursufferinghaveanimmortalsignificance；letHeavensmileupontheearth，anddeitiespaytheirvisits；letfaithandhopebetheatmospherewhichmanbreathesin；——andhisdayspassbywithzest；theystirwithprospects，theythrillwithremotervalues。
Placeroundthemonthecontrarythecurdlingcoldandgloomandabsenceofallpermanentmeaningwhichforpurenaturalismandthepopularscienceevolutionismofourtimeareallthatisvisibleultimately，andthethrillstopsshort，orturnsrathertoananxioustrembling。
Fornaturalism，fedonrecentcosmologicalspeculations，mankindisinapositionsimilartothatofasetofpeoplelivingonafrozenlake，surroundedbycliffsoverwhichthereisnoescape，yetknowingthatlittlebylittletheiceismelting，andtheinevitabledaydrawingnearwhenthelastfilmofitwilldisappear，andtobedrownedignominiouslywillbethehumancreature’sportion。Themerriertheskating，thewarmerandmoresparklingthesunbyday，andtheruddierthebonfiresatnight，themorepoignantthesadnesswithwhichonemusttakeinthemeaningofthetotalsituation。
TheearlyGreeksarecontinuallyhelduptousinliteraryworksasmodelsofthehealthy-mindedjoyousnesswhichthereligionofnaturemayengender。TherewasindeedmuchjoyousnessamongtheGreeks——Homer’sflowofenthusiasmformostthingsthatthesunshinesuponissteady。ButeveninHomerthereflectivepassagesarecheerless，[73]andthemomenttheGreeksgrewsystematicallypensiveandthoughtofultimates，theybecameunmitigatedpessimists。[74]Thejealousyofthegods，thenemesisthatfollowstoomuchhappiness，theall-encompassingdeath，fate’sdarkopacity，theultimateandunintelligiblecruelty，werethefixedbackgroundoftheirimagination。Thebeautifuljoyousnessoftheirpolytheismisonlyapoeticmodernfiction。TheyknewnojoyscomparableinqualityofpreciousnesstothosewhichweshallerelongseethatIlrahmans，Buddhists，Christians，Mohammedans，twice-bornpeoplewhosereligionisnon-naturalistic，getfromtheirseveralcreedsofmysticismandrenunciation。
[73]E。g。，IliadXVII。446：“Nothingthenismorewretchedanywherethanmanofallthatbreathesandcreepsuponthisearth。”
[74]E。g。，Theognis，425-428：“Bestofallforallthingsuponearthisitnottobebornnortobeholdthesplendorsofthesun；nextbesttotraverseassoonaspossiblethegatesofHades。”SeealsothealmostidenticalpassageinOedipusinColonus，1225——TheAnthologyisfullofpessimisticutterances：
“NakedcameIupontheearth，nakedIgobelowtheground——whythendoIvainlytoilwhenIseetheendnakedbeforeme？”——“HowdidIcometobe？Whenceaml？WhereforedidIcome？Topassaway。HowcanIlearnaughtwhennaughtIknow？BeingnaughtI
cametolife：oncemoreshallIbewhatIwas。Nothingandnothingnessisthewholeraceofmortals。”——“Fordeathweareallcherishedandfattenedlikeaherdofhogsthatiswantonlybutchered。”
ThedifferencebetweenGreekpessimismandtheorientalandmodernvarietyisthattheGreekshadnotmadethediscoverythatthepatheticmoodmaybeidealized，andfigureasahigherformofsensibility。Theirspiritwasstilltooessentiallymasculineforpessimismtobeelaboratedorlengthilydweltonintheirclassicliterature。Theywouldhavedespisedalifesetwhollyinaminorkey，andsummonedittokeepwithintheproperboundsoflachrymosity。Thediscoverythattheenduringemphasis，sofarasthisworldgoes，maybelaidonitspainandfailure，wasreservedforracesmorecomplex，andsotospeakmorefemininethantheHelleneshadattainedtobeingintheclassicperiod。
ButallthesamewastheoutlookofthoseHellenesblacklypessimistic。
StoicinsensibilityandEpicureanresignationwerethefarthestadvancewhichtheGreekmindmadeinthatdirection。TheEpicureansaid：“Seeknottobehappy，butrathertoescapeunhappiness；stronghappinessisalwayslinkedwithpain；
thereforehugthesafeshore，anddonottemptthedeeperraptures。Avoiddisappointmentbyexpectinglittle，andbyaiminglow；andabovealldonotfret。”TheStoicsaid：“Theonlygenuinegoodthatlifecanyieldamanisthefreepossessionofhisownsoul；allothergoodsarelies。”Eachofthesephilosophiesisinitsdegreeaphilosophyofdespairinnature’sboons。Trustfulself-abandonmenttothejoysthatfreelyofferhasentirelydepartedfrombothEpicureanandStoic；
andwhateachproposesisawayofrescuefromtheresultantdust-and-ashesstateofmind。TheEpicureanstillawaitsresultsfromeconomyofindulgenceanddampingofdesire。TheStoichopesfornoresults，andgivesupnaturalgoodaltogether。
Thereisdignityinboththeseformsofresignation。Theyrepresentdistinctstagesinthesoberingprocesswhichman’sprimitiveintoxicationwithsense-happinessissuretoundergo。
Intheonethehotbloodhasgrowncool，intheotherithasbecomequitecold；andalthoughIhavespokenoftheminthepasttense，asiftheyweremerelyhistoric，yetStoicismandEpicureanismwillprobablybetoalltimetypicalattitudes，markingacertaindefinitestageaccomplishedintheevolutionoftheworld-sicksoul。[75]Theymarktheconclusionofwhatwecalltheonce-bornperiod，andrepresentthehighestflightsofwhattwice-bornreligionwouldcallthepurelynaturalman——Epicureanism，whichcanonlybygreatcourtesybecalledareligion，showinghisrefinement，andStoicismexhibitinghismoralwill。Theyleavetheworldintheshapeofanunreconciledcontradiction，andseeknohigherunity。ComparedwiththecomplexecstasieswhichthesupernaturallyregeneratedChristianmayenjoy，ortheorientalpantheistindulgein，theirreceiptsforequanimityareexpedientswhichseemalmostcrudeintheirsimplicity。
[75]Forinstance，ontheverydayonwhichIwritethispage，thepostbringsmesomeaphorismsfromaworldly-wiseoldfriendinHeidelbergwhichmayserveasagoodcontemporaneousexpressionofEpicureanism：“Bytheword’happiness’everyhumanbeingunderstandssomethingdifferent。Itisaphantompursuedonlybyweakerminds。ThewisemanissatisfiedwiththemoremodestbutmuchmoredefinitetermCONTENTMENT。Whateducationshouldchieflyaimatistosaveusfromadiscontentedlife。
Healthisonefavoringcondition，butbynomeansanindispensableone，ofcontentment。Woman’sheartandloveareashrewddeviceofNature，atrapwhichshesetsfortheaverageman，toforcehimintoworking。Butthewisemanwillalwayspreferworkchosenbyhimself。”
Pleaseobserve，however，thatIamnotyetpretendingfinallytoJUDGEanyoftheseattitudes。Iamonlydescribingtheirvariety。Thesecurestwaytotherapturoussortsofhappinessofwhichthetwice-bornmakereporthasasanhistoricmatteroffactbeenthroughamoreradicalpessimismthananythingthatwehaveyetconsidered。Wehaveseenhowthelustreandenchantmentmayberubbedofffromthegoodsofnature。Butthereisapitchofunhappinesssogreatthatthegoodsofnaturemaybeentirelyforgotten，andallsentimentoftheirexistencevanishfromthementalfield。Forthisextremityofpessimismtobereached，somethingmoreisneededthanobservationoflifeandreflectionupondeath。Theindividualmustinhisownpersonbecomethepreyofapathologicalmelancholy。Asthehealthy-mindedenthusiastsucceedsinignoringevil’sveryexistence，sothesubjectofmelancholyisforcedinspiteofhimselftoignorethatofallgoodwhatever：forhimitmaynolongerhavetheleastreality。Suchsensitivenessandsusceptibilitytomentalpainisarareoccurrencewherethenervousconstitutionisentirelynormal；oneseldomfindsitinahealthysubjectevenwhereheisthevictimofthemostatrociouscrueltiesofoutwardfortune。Sowenoteheretheneuroticconstitution，ofwhichI
saidsomuchinmyfirstlecture，makingitsactiveentranceonourscene，anddestinedtoplayapartinmuchthatfollows。
Sincetheseexperiencesofmelancholyareinthefirstinstanceabsolutelyprivateandindividual，Icannowhelpmyselfoutwithpersonaldocuments。Painfulindeedtheywillbetolistento，andthereisalmostanindecencyinhandlingtheminpublic。Yettheylierightinthemiddleofourpath；andifwearetotouchthepsychologyofreligionatallseriously，wemustbewillingtoforgetconventionalities，anddivebelowthesmoothandlyingofficialconversationalsurface。
Onecandistinguishmanykindsofpathologicaldepression。
Sometimesitismerepassivejoylessnessanddreariness。
discouragement，dejection，lackoftasteandzestandspring。
ProfessorRibothasproposedthenameanhedoniatodesignatethiscondition。