“On different senses different objects strike; Hence different Passions more or less inflame, As strong or weak, the organs of the frame; And hence one master Passion in the breast, Like Aaron’s serpent, swallows up the rest.”
The Enlightenment was an age defined by logic. Often called the Age of Reason, this period celebrated the human mind’s power to understand and order the universe. Philosophers championed rationality as the highest virtue. Consequently, they often viewed human emotions and passions as chaotic, primitive forces. These forces needed to be restrained by the disciplined hand of reason. However, the celebrated poet Alexander Pope offered a more complex and integrated vision of human nature in his masterwork, “An Essay on Man.”
Instead of portraying a simple battle between good reason and evil passion, Pope introduces a revolutionary idea. He proposes the concept of a “ruling passion.” Pope argued that every individual possesses one dominant passion. This core drive acts as the primary motivator for their thoughts and actions throughout life. This idea challenged the prevailing notion that all passions were inherently flawed and must be suppressed.
The Purpose of Passion
Pope did not see the ruling passion as a defect. Instead, he framed it as a fundamental component of our nature, implanted by a divine creator. According to his philosophy, this central passion provides the raw energy and motivation for all human achievement. For example, the desire for praise might drive a soldier to acts of bravery. Similarly, the love of power could compel a leader to build a great nation. Reason’s job is not to extinguish this fire but to aim it productively.
Pope’s work suggests a partnership, not a war. Source . This perspective reframes the entire debate. Without passion, humanity would be inert and stagnant. Without reason, passion becomes a destructive and aimless force. Therefore, both are essential for a functioning and virtuous life. One provides the push, while the other provides the path.
Reason as the Navigator, Passion as the Gale
Pope masterfully uses metaphor to illustrate this delicate balance. He compares passion to a powerful gale and reason to the ship’s compass and rudder. A ship cannot travel anywhere without the wind to fill its sails. That wind, however, is a wild and untamable force. It can just as easily drive the ship onto rocks as it can guide it to a safe harbor. This is where reason enters the picture.
Reason acts as the skilled navigator. It consults the map, checks the compass, and holds the rudder steady. It harnesses the raw power of the wind (passion) to steer the vessel toward a desired destination. In this model, reason and passion are not enemies but indispensable partners in the journey of life. A gale without a navigator leads to shipwreck. Conversely, a navigator without a gale remains stranded and motionless. This elegant analogy captures the core of Pope’s argument for a synthesized human nature.
A Place in the Great Chain
This concept fits perfectly within Pope’s broader philosophical framework. “An Essay on Man” is an ambitious attempt to “vindicate the ways of God to Man.” Pope believed in a vast, ordered cosmos, often described as the “Great Chain of Being.” In this system, everything has its proper place and purpose, from the smallest insect to the highest angel. Human passions, even seemingly negative ones like pride or greed, serve a function within this divine plan.
From this viewpoint, the ruling passion ensures that each person fulfills their unique role. The ambition of one individual contributes to the growth of society. The avarice of another might spur commerce and innovation. Pope suggests that what appears as individual vice can, through a kind of providential guidance, result in public benefit. It is a complex, optimistic view that finds purpose even in the most challenging aspects of human psychology. Ultimately, Pope encourages us to accept our nature, with its blend of reason and passion, as part of a perfect, albeit mysterious, universal order.