The Doctrine of the Proprium

We would inquire as to what is the real meaning of the word "proprium" as used in the Theological Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.  "Proprium" is a Latin word for which there is no equivalent in the English language. Some translators have rendered it "own"; but "proprium" is a noun, while "own" is either an adjective or a verb and cannot be used as a noun.  We can say, "a man's own house," or, "our own country," or that a man "owns his property"; but it is not good English to say, "every man has an own which he loves above all things," or that "man from own loves himself more than the Lord." It is preferable, therefore, to retain the word "proprium" and learn what it means.  However, we are prompted to treat of this subject because it is so easy to derive from the Writings a mistaken idea of what is meant.

The word "proprium" is used in a number of different connections, and its meaning is modified by the context.  In order to understand it rightly we must have a clear idea of the essential meaning, the meaning that underlies all its various applications.  The Writings state over and over again that man is born into evils of every kind, and that his hereditary proprium is nothing but evil.  This is the way in which we are prone to think of it.  "Man's proprium," we read, "is infernal, and it is his very hell; for by the proprium of his will man communicates with hell, and from hell and from itself this proprium desires nothing so much as to cast itself down into hell; nor is it content with this, but desires to cast down all in the universe. (AC 1049)  Again: "The love of self is nothing else than man's proprium and how filthy and profane this is may be seen from what has been shown above concerning man's proprium.  From the love of self, or man's proprium, all evils flow, such as hatreds, revenges, cruelties, adulteries, deceits, hypocrisies, impiety." (AC 1326) It would appear from these, and from many other numbers in the Writings, that the proprium is to be identified with evil, and that from birth it is inherent in man's nature.  We are disposed, therefore, to think of this hereditary proprium as what is commonly called "human nature” and to regard it as the inescapable characteristic of all human beings.

In the Christian Church it was believed that man had this evil nature because of the sin of Adam, for which the whole human race was condemned.  This led to the conclusion that man was totally depraved.  Because he is incapable of willing or doing anything good, it was thought that man's will must be broken, and made completely submissive to the dictates of the church.  From this idea, Luther derived the doctrine that man must be saved by faith apart from works, since whatever he does is necessarily meritorious.  The idea of man's depravity had a profound influence upon Christian education for centuries, leading to stern and even cruel treatment of children in the effort to subdue their evil nature.

Strangely enough, the Marxian philosophy, which is violently anti-Christian, is nevertheless based on the Christian concept of man's total depravity.  Indeed, it regards man's perverted nature as the basic fact of human life.  It holds that self-interest is unavoidably the dominant motive behind all man's thought and action.  The appearance of unselfish concern for others is considered to be no more than a hypocritical pretense for the sake of self-advantage.  One who accepts it at face value is thought to be inexcusably naive, gullible or weak, because he is unwilling to face the truth.  To be realistic, it is held that one must reject all moral standards, looking to man's will as the only criterion of what is right, and to strength of will as the only god to be worshiped.

Of course, the view of modern scientific psychology is just the opposite of this, namely, that man is inherently good.  The concept of original sin has been largely discarded.  It is now believed that evil arises from the environment rather than from heredity.  Men trace its origin to the pressure of circumstances, to social injustice, to mental illness or physical disability.  Evil is regarded, not as a sin for which the individual is responsible, but rather as an affliction for which he is to be pitied.  It is thought that as far as conditions of poverty, hunger, disease and suffering of all kinds can be removed, evil will disappear because there will no longer be any impelling motive to anti-social behavior.  This view is regarded as the result of greater knowledge and a more enlightened understanding of human nature; and because the Writings teach.  that man is born into evils of every kind, it is taken for granted that they merely reflect a medieval concept which modern learning has now discredited.

We would point out, however, that the teaching of the Writings concerning man's proprium differs markedly from all these human interpretations.  In spite of the appearance to the contrary, the numbers we have cited do not imply that man at birth is totally depraved; nor do they imply that he is inherently good.  They teach that the proprium man inherits is not to be identified with the man himself, but is to be regarded as a tendency to evil to which he may or may not yield.  Only if he chooses it freely and deliberately does it become his very own.  He has power, if he so wills, to reject this proprium in favor of one that is good.  Nevertheless, the appearance is almost overwhelming that hereditary evil is the man himself: this because every man feels the impulse to love himself above all else, as if this were his own will.  The appearance of self-will is unavoidable, and the passages from the Writings to which we have referred are written according to this appearance.  At the same time, it is plainly taught in other passages that the real truth is otherwise.

The inner truth, the all-embracing truth, is that proprium can be rightly ascribed only to the Lord.  No man, spirit or angel either has, or can have, any proprium whatever.  The reason is that only the Lord is substance itself.  He alone has life in Himself and power in Himself.  Man is nothing but a vessel, created by the Lord out of His own Divine substance.  This vessel has no substance of its own, because that which it appears to have is held in being and existence from moment to moment by the Lord.  This vessel is dead.  It has no life and no power of its own.  It appears to live only because it is moved by the Lord's life, which is perpetually flowing into it and animating it.  If this inflowing life should be withdrawn even for an instant, man would cease to exist; he would be totally dissipated.  It is obvious therefore, that man has no proprium.  He has nothing that he can rightly call his own.  Man's soul, his mind, his body—his whole life and his entire being—belong to the Lord.  Concerning this we read:

"Man's proprium is a mere dead thing, although to him it appears as something, indeed as everything.  Whatever lives in him is from the Lord's life, and if this were withdrawn he would fall down dead as a stone; for man is only an organ of life, and such as the organ is, such is the life's affection.  The Lord alone has proprium.  By this proprium He redeemed man, and by this proprium He saves him.  The Lord's proprium is life, and from His proprium, man's proprium, which in itself is dead, is made alive.  The Lord's proprium is also signified by the Lord's words in Luke: 'A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have.' (24:39)."  (AC 149)

Because the Lord as to His soul was infinite and life itself, it is said that He fought against the hells from His own power while He was on earth.  This no mortal man can do.  Whatever power he has to resist evil, he receives from the Lord.  "By proprium, no one understands otherwise than that he lives from himself, and therefore thinks and wills from himself ; but such a proprium is not in man, and cannot exist in any man." (DP 308)

"The goods which are of faith and of charity cannot be given to man, nor to angel, so as to be their own, for men and angels are only recipients, or forms accommodated to receive life, thus good and truth, from the Lord.  Life itself is from no other source.  And as life is from the Lord it cannot be appropriated otherwise than as appearing to be man's own; but they who are in the Lord plainly perceive that life flows in, consequently good and truth, for these belong to life.  The reason ... life appears as man's own is that the Lord from Divine love wills to give and to conjoin His proprium to man, and as far as it can be effected, does conjoin it." (AC 8497)

We could cite many other passages to the same effect.  Note well the teaching that while it is impossible for man to have life, that is, proprium, in himself, it is the Lord's will that he should appear to have it: this because the Lord wills to give of His life to man, and to give it so completely that man may feel it and enjoy it just as if it were his own.  Thus man's proprium is not a reality, but only an appearance.  Nevertheless, this appearance is the greatest, the most precious and the most miraculous of all God's gifts to man.  So, far from being evil, it is the source of all that is good.  It is this that makes man to be an image of God.  Because God alone, in the true sense, is Man, it is the image of God in him that makes man human.  On this appearance of proprium depend that rationality and liberty which distinguish man from the animals, and make it possible for him to be conjoined with God and live forever.  Without this appearance there could be no heavenly happiness or bliss; and we are told that the wiser the angels become, the more they are perfected, the more do they feel and act as if they had life in themselves, even though they know and acknowledge that all their life inflows from the Lord.

Wherever the Writings speak of man's proprium, therefore, the most important thing to bear in mind is that they are speaking, not of a reality, but of an appearance.  Very often this is not obvious from the literal statements, which seem to imply that man actually has proprium.  Thus we are prone to think of man's hereditary tendency to evil as if it were the man himself, and therefore that man is born evil; yet this is not what is really meant.  To accept this appearance as the truth leads to very serious consequences, as we shall later demonstrate.  Also, we are apt to take for granted that the proprium of man is always evil, and this also is far from the truth.  Man can receive influx from heaven as well as from hell.  The good which inflows from heaven can appear to be his own, just as the evil that inflows from hell can appear to be his own.  If this were not true, the Lord could not give of His life to man, that he might enjoy it as his own.  It is vital, therefore, that in reading what is said about man's proprium, we should in every case interpret what is said in the light of the universal principle: that in reality man has no proprium, either good or evil, although the appearance that he has is the most essential characteristic of human life.

(click to continue)