An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope
"An Essay on Man" by Alexander Pope is a philosophical poem from the 18th century that explores the relationship between humanity, the universe, and God. It is deeply rooted in the intellectual climate of its time, featuring ideas influenced by Pope's association with Lord Bolingbroke and the concept of the Great Chain of Being, which posits a hierarchical structure in creation. The poem posits that everything in the universe, from the lowest creatures to God, has its designated place, and man's role, positioned between the divine and the beastly, reflects both his limitations and responsibilities.
Pope articulates the tension between self-love and reason within human nature, suggesting that harmony arises when both forces work in accord. He argues that true happiness is not found in external possessions but in the virtues of character and the peace of mind that comes from fulfilling one's responsibilities. The poem also emphasizes the interconnectedness of all beings, advocating for a social love that aligns personal interests with the greater good. Ultimately, "An Essay on Man" conveys the message that understanding one's place in the universe and acting with love and virtue is essential for achieving a harmonious existence.
An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope
First published: 1733-1734
Type of work: Poetry
The Work
Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man stands as an intellectual landmark of the eighteenth century because it embodies the cosmological, theological, and ethical thought of its age. Heavily influenced by Pope’s friend Lord Bolingbroke, whose philosophy was congenial to Pope, An Essay on Man actually sums up the leading principles of the time. Arthur Lovejoy’s The Great Chain of Being (1936) provides the essential background for a thorough understanding of the traditions upon which Pope drew.
The central conception of this poem rests, however, upon the ideas of plenitude, gradation, and continuity. Plenitude, for Pope, means the overwhelming fullness of creation, of a universe inhabited by all possible essences created by God. The abundance and variety of creation are also marked by gradation, the notion that there exists a graduated chain or rank among creation, moving from the lowest created thing up to God. This chain implies, of course, subordination of lower creatures to higher because each step up the ladder marks a slight variation upon the preceding step. Thus man (given the poem’s title, the use of this word, rather than “people” or “humanity,” may be considered accurate) is superior by virtue of his reason to lower beings. The ordered harmony of the entire creation depends upon the proper ordering of parts. Continuity, this ordered continuum of creation, is for Pope the principle of social and divine love that ties together all forms of creation in measured rule.
Epistle 1 explains the relationship of man to the universe. Man’s knowledge of the universe must be limited to this world only; however, because evil exists on earth, one should not question God’s ways or his justice. It is enough to know that God, because of his infinite goodness, created a perfect system and that man is merely a small part of the gigantic whole. God created the universe in one vast chain; somewhere along this chain man’s place may be found. The imperfections in his nature man pretends to find are not really imperfections, for God created man suited to his place and rank in creation. Our happiness here consists in two things: our ignorance of the future and our hope for better things in the future. “Hope springs eternal in the human breast:/ Man never Is, but always to be blest.”
Man’s chief error is his pride, which causes him to aspire to be better than he is, to question Providence about the fitness of things. Such pride inverts the real order since people are the judged, not the judges. Man must not presume to doubt the justice of God’s dispensations. Another error is that man sees himself wrongly as the final cause of all creation, as though all nature exists to serve him alone.
Equally unjust is man’s wish for the strength of wild beasts or the power of angels, because God made the earth and all its inhabitants in a graduated scale; at the bottom of this scale are the lowest of creatures, man stands in the middle, and above men are multitudes of angels and, finally, God:
Vast chain of Being! which from God began,
Each animal is subordinated to the ranks above and superior to those below. Man, by virtue of his reason, rules all creation below, but he is not of ethereal substance, as an angel is, and does not possess angelic power. Therefore it is absurd to claim another’s place since each is a part of the whole ordained by God. To break this vast chain at any point would destroy the whole and violate God’s plan. Man should not view creation as imperfect because he can envision only a part of it. His middle place on the scale implies a limited perception of the complete plan, and what he sees as evil is actually from God’s larger vision, partial evil contributing ultimately to his universal good.
All partial Evil, universal Good:
Epistle 2 discusses the nature and state of man as an individual whose tragic situation is that he is in this middle state, both god and beast, both spirit and body. In human nature two principles, self-love and reason, operate often at odds with each other. Neither is entirely good nor bad; when each does its function properly and works in conjunction with the other, good results occur. Pope compares these two principles to the mechanism of a watch; within men self-love is the spring, reason the balance wheel. Without one, man could not act; without the other, action would be aimless. Without self-love men would vegetate; without reason men would consume themselves in lawless passion. Self-love motivates, inspires, while reason checks, advises. Self-love judges by present good and reason by future consequences. Reason through time acquires power to control impulsive self-love.
The passions are modes of self-love good as long as they conform to reason’s dictates. One, the Ruling Passion, often dominates all others and determines the character of a man. No virtue arising from any passion can be wholly without value if subdued, as lust may be turned to gentle love, anger to zeal.
Although man contains both vice and virtue, heaven compensates by converting individual defects into the strength of all. Our weaknesses motivate mutual reliance. Since each man is given his due portion of happiness and misery, no one should wish to exchange his state for another’s. Each should rest content with his own lot.
Epistle 3 discusses the role of man in society. Pope sees the whole universe as one comprehensive society, a complex system of interrelations cementing all creation. Each part relates to others but rank in the chain of being confers power and control over inferior ranks. However, with rule comes responsibility, and man, the imperial race, must care for his underlings as God cares for him.
Whether ruled by animal instinct or human reason, each enjoys that power best suited to his place. Although God set the necessary bounds to each species, allotting to each its particular share of happiness, he designed to ensure the happiness of the whole rather than of the part. The happiness of all depends entirely upon maintaining the proper relations among the individuals; each should love itself and others.
In the primitive state of society, self-love and social love existed. Man’s reason then learned useful rules from instinct. Reason observed principles of government from monarchical bees and republican ants. Man constructed his own cities and societies and soon common interest suggested the need for a ruler, who was chosen for his virtues in learning and arms. True religion and government were united in love. Superstition and tyranny arose to invert nature’s order, but man’s self-love taught him to protect his interests by erecting governments and laws, finding private good in public. Self-love directed to social love returned general social harmony. It is this charity that renders particular forms of government and religion unessential, for charity always seeks the happiness of all, linking self-love with social love, enlisting all ranks of creation into a harmonious order.
Epistle 4 views man in relation to happiness. Since God works by general laws, he intends all to be happy, not merely a few. Order is heaven’s first law, so there can be only one result: Some beings will be greater than others. However, if heaven intended all to be equally happy, to be greater is not to be happier. True happiness is not located in external condition or possessions. God compensates those who lack them with hope for the future, those who have them fear the future.
Individual bliss on earth rests on three possessions: health, peace, and competence. To good or bad men fortune may bestow its blessings, but gifts of fortune dispose the individual as he obtains them to enjoy them less. In achieving bliss the virtuous man has most advantages. One must not impute injustice to God because the virtuous man often finds calamities his reward for virtue. Calamity occurs through fortune or natural law; God does not dispense with his laws merely to favor a special person. Virtue, moreover, is not rewarded with material gifts.
Virtue’s reward is not earthly and external. Its reward resides in the peace and joy of the heart. Earthly recompense will either be disdained as unworthy or will destroy the very virtue that prompted it. No shame or honor arises from one’s station in life. True honor comes from faithful employment of one’s responsibility. It is character that distinguishes a person, not his or her worldly fortune or fame. History teaches that those who attain worldly prizes frequently pay dearly for them. What deeds make the hero often corrupt the person.
Only true virtue is happiness. It is the sole thing a man may possess without loss to himself. Heaven’s bliss is bestowed on him who avoids the extremism of sect and who observes in the creation the presence of God and the divine chain that links all to God. Such a man knows that true happiness belongs not to the individual but to the whole creation, that the source of all faith, law, morality, and happiness is love of God and of man. Self-love, transcending self in pursuing social love and divine, showers blessings upon all things. Self-love awakens the virtuous mind, and like a pebble dropped into water, stirring ripples on the surface, ever embraces wider and wider spheres, from friend, to parent, to neighbor, until it encompasses all living creation.
Bibliography
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