" They therefore said,
"Man, at his first creation, was endued with wisdom and its love, not
for the sake of himself, but that he might communicate it to others from
himself. Hence it is a maxim inscribed on the wisdom of the wise, that
no one is wise for himself alone, or lives for himself, but for others
at the same time: this is the origin of society, which otherwise could
not exist. To live for others is to perform uses. Uses are the bonds of
society, which are as many in number as there are good uses; and the
number of uses is infinite. There are spiritual uses, such as regard
love to God and love towards our neighbour; there are moral and civil
uses, such as regard the love of the society and state to which a man
belongs, and of his fellow-citizens among whom he lives; there are
natural uses, which regard the love of the world and its necessities;
and there are corporeal uses, such as regard the love of
self-preservation with a view to superior uses. All these uses are
inscribed on man, and follow in order one after another; and when they
are together, one is in the other.
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