Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Alexander Pope discussed Man’s relationship to God in Epistle 1 of his Essay on Man. In the second epistle, he discussed Man as an individual, his powers, abilities, and his limits. In Epistle 3 of An Essay on Man, Pope discusses the relationship of Man as an individual with the society as a whole and that is the subtitle of the third part; “Of the Nature and State of Man, with respect to Society.”
Third Epistle discusses the relationship of man with family, society, government, and religion. The narrator suggests that the interdependence of all species necessitates love among all creatures exchanging services in a symbiotic relationship. He mentions that individuals with excessive ego turn tyrannical at instances and that offends nature as it brings imbalance and disharmony. He further stresses on the importance of reason while distinguishing it from individual instincts and suggests that both instincts and reason are important for survival and progress.
Epistle III is composed of 318 lines written in heroic couplets. The first six lines innumerate the points that Pope already discussed in Epistle 1 and Epistle 2 The remaining lines are divided into 6 sections or stanzas of varying length.
Summary of Epistle III :
Section 1 (Lines 7-78)
In these lines, Pope recognizes the chain of the hierarchy of creatures in the living world and suggests that not only these living creatures but inanimate bodies too are interconnected with a “chain of love”. This chain of love isn’t erotic or familial in nature, rather it is a contractual sort of love where love, harmony, and balance between different individuals, individuals, and society, Man and other creatures, creatures, and non-living world ascertains well-being and progress of the whole Universe. This contractual chain of love is the building block of God’s design and the chain of beings. The narrator explains it with examples of atoms, attracting other particles and ensuring the shapes of things. Similarly, plants grow in dirt and take essential elements from it for their growth. When a plant dies, it returns to the dirt, enriching it with nourishment that is taken by newer plants. Man grows grass, fruits, and flowers and the Antelope eats it and then nourishes man. Pope discusses a range of animals from larks to bears and questions if all these creatures were produced only to serve man? He is confident that is not the case and says that it would be ridiculous if a goose says that man was created for its use and similarly, it is silly to believe that all creatures were created to serve man.
“Grant that the pow'rful still the weak control; / Be Man the wit and tyrant of the whole:
Nature that tyrant checks; he only knows, / And helps. another creature's wants and woes.”
The narrator says that man certainly has the power of intellect that nature doesn’t possess, yet nature can conquer all. Even if Man uses his mental abilities tyrannically to exploit nature, nature can check his tyranny. The narrator asserts that nothing, not even mankind, is made wholly for the benefit of itself, nor anything is made wholly for serving others. Instead, everything is related to each other in a symbiotic embrace, completing each other as “parts relate to whole.”
The narrator then says that Man’s ability to reason and his intellect offer him great powers but it also fills him with the fear of death. Animals do not have such fear as they do not have the useless knowledge that they will die.
Section 2 (Lines 79-108)
In this section, the narrator clarifies instincts in contrast with reason. The narrator says that all creatures use instincts or reason whichever helps them most. In some cases, instincts outperform reason while in some other cases, reason and thinking prove to be better. For man, the best way is to ascertain a harmony between instincts and reason to achieve their goals. It is impossible to say how man learned "shun their poison, and to choose their food," just like we cannot say what taught spiders to weave a web. Thus, instincts offer creatures enough powers to sustain their life and they are necessary. However, it would be wrong to say that instincts can be the ‘unerring guide’.
Instinct causes men to feel compassion for others and results in service, an aspect that Reason, “cool at best”, ignores. The best way is to use a proportionate mix of reason and instinct and that is God’s plan. The narrator suggests that God's hand is apparent in what people have come to view as instinct.
Section 3 (Lines 109-46)
Pope continues the discourse on instincts and reason and explores how far society can be carried by instinct, then shows how much farther society can be carried by reason. The narrator says that all creatures have their wants and needs which depend on each other. Their instincts make them serve each other. Instincts push creatures and people together. Instincts are necessary for perpetuating their species.
“Each loves itself, but not itself alone, / Each sex desires alike, till two are one.
Nor ends the pleasure with the fierce embrace: / They love themselves a third time in their race.”
The narrator says that the opposite sex comes close as they are pushed by their instincts toward each other. Both sex desire love of embrace till they become one and this offers them a pleasure as a reward. However, the pleasure of fierce embrace is just a reward, the purpose of their instinct was to perpetuate their species and thus, they love again for the proper breeding of their offspring as responsible parents.
“Thus beast and bird their common charge attend, The mothers nurse it, and the sires defend.”
However, once the young bird starts wandering in the sky, the parental instinct ends and so does the sense of duty to feed and defend.
The narrator then says that Man is guided not only by instincts but reason too and reason helps him build deeper emotional relations, which is why man remains in their parents' care longer than animals. It furthers reason and strengthens the rational faculty of the offspring. These connections and relationships develop in human society by reason. Reason fills man with dread of death but it also empowers man with hope. And thus, instincts and reason further the interest of human beings and perpetuate their species.
Section 4 (147-198)
In this section, Pope talks about how Man learned from nature. The narrator says that if left to instincts only, the man might allow his greed to lead to destruction and savagery. But reason helps him to learn how to control his instincts while observing nature. In the beginning, the man walked along with beasts. He was savage and unsocial but then he learned from animals. He learned where to hunt from birds, about societies from ants, and how to build from bees. Gradually, with the help of his rational faculty, he surpassed all these animals and became better than all.
Section 5 (199-214)
In this section, the narrator discusses how man developed societies and how the first governments were formed. He discusses how monarchies were established that turned into the patriarchial government.
Reason further helped man in raising cities and societies. Though he failed too and then got engaged in conflicts and wars. However, people learned to negotiate and develop commerce. This was necessary for the benefit of all. Eventually, the strongest were chosen as kings to reign above all.
Section 6 (215-318)
In section six, the narrator explores the origins of religion. Pope suggests that the basis of both religion and government is love or the need for harmony and balance. He says that faith is the love of God and the government is the love of man. On the other hand, fear gives birth to superstitions and tyranny. Thus, self-love, through just and unjust means, can either drive man’s ambition or restrain him.
Reason inspired man to form governments and churches. Initially, churches were built on pride and bloody sacrifices but then God inspired man to learn better ways and man developed faith with love. Pope says that men may disagree on faith with each other but it is beyond any doubt that "all mankind's concern" should be charity. People must support one another. In the end, Pope uses a metaphor comparing individuals to planets revolving around the sun. Each planet is unique and rotates on its own axis but they all revolve around the sun. In the same manner, man must respect his own self, and understand the importance of self-love but he must also not ignore the greater good of the family, society, all the creatures, the world, and the universe.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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