Concept
Envy
Overview
resentful emotion that “occurs when a person lacks another’s (perceived) superior quality, achievement or possession and wishes that the other lacked it”
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
In the original texts
Passages from public-domain books where Envy is discussed.
The poor envy the rich, the poorer nations envy the richer nations, women envy men, virtuous women envy those who, though not virtuous, remain unpunished. While it is true that envy is the chief motive force leading to justice as between different classes, different nations, and different sexes, it is at the same time true that the kind of justice to be expected as a result of envy is likely to be the worst possible…
Bertrand Russell, The conquest of happiness
names the idea; a chapter is titled for it; states what it is; author linked in the graph; opens on it
This reasoning will account for the origin of envy as well as of malice. The only difference betwixt these passions lies in this, that envy is excited by some present enjoyment of another, which by comparison diminishes our idea of our own: Whereas malice is the unprovoked desire of…
David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature
names the idea; a chapter is titled for it; states what it is; opens on it
But fear is not the only source of malevolence; envy and disappointment also have their share. The envy of cripples and hunchbacks is proverbial as a source of malignity, but other misfortunes than theirs produce similar results.
Bertrand Russell, What I believe
names the idea; states what it is; author linked in the graph; opens on it
Even that principle, in the excess and improper direction of which consists the odious and detestable passion of envy, may be defective. Envy is that passion which views with malignant dislike the superiority of those who are really entitled to all the superiority they possess. The man, however, who, in matters of consequence, tamely suffers other people, who are entitled to no such superiority, to rise above him or…
Adam Smith, The Essays of Adam Smith
names the idea; states what it is; opens on it
So Alexander had none to envy him, but many to hate him, by whom he was plotted against till he died. So too misfortunes stop envy, but they do not remove hatred. For people hate their enemies even when they lie prostrate at their feet, but no one envies the unfortunate. But the remark of one of the sophists of our day is true, that the envious are very prone to pity; so here too there is a great difference between…
Plutarch, Plutarch's Morals
names the idea; a chapter is titled for it; states what it is
Related ideas
- Emotion
- Hadith
- Immanuel Kant
- Rhetoric (Aristotle)
- Happiness
- Muhammad
- Well-being
- Motivation
- Bhagavad Gita
- Aristotle
- Metaphysics of Morals
- Bertrand Russell
- Krishna
- Charles Darwin
Place in the tradition
Part of Ethical egoism.