第14章

Secondly，Isay，Thatwherevertheconductoftheagentappearstohavebeenentirelydirectedbymotivesandaffectionswhichwethoroughlyenterintoandapproveof，wecanhavenosortofsympathywiththeresentmentofthesufferer，howgreatsoeverthemischiefwhichmayhavebeendonetohim。Whentwopeoplequarrel，ifwetakepartwith，andentirelyadopttheresentmentofoneofthem，itisimpossiblethatweshouldenterintothatoftheother。Oursympathywiththepersonwhosemotiveswegoalongwith，andwhomthereforewelookuponasintheright，cannotbuthardenusagainstallfellow-feelingwiththeother，whomwenecessarilyregardasinthewrong。Whateverthislast，therefore，mayhavesuffered，whileitisnomorethanwhatweourselvesshouldhavewishedhimtosuffer，whileitisnomorethanwhatourownsympatheticindignationwouldhavepromptedustoinflictuponhim，itcannoteitherdispleaseorprovokeus。Whenaninhumanmurdererisbroughttothescaffold，thoughwehavesomecompassionforhismisery，wecanhavenosortoffellow-feelingwithhisresentment，ifheshouldbesoabsurdastoexpressanyagainsteitherhisprosecutororhisjudge。Thenaturaltendencyoftheirjustindignationagainstsovileacriminalisindeedthemostfatalandruinoustohim。Butitisimpossiblethatweshouldbedispleasedwiththetendencyofasentiment，which，whenwebringthecasehometoourselves，wefeelthatwecannotavoidadopting。

Recapitulationoftheforegoingchapters1。Wedonot，therefore，thoroughlyandheartilysympathizewiththegratitudeofonemantowardsanother，merelybecausethisotherhasbeenthecauseofhisgoodfortune，unlesshehasbeenthecauseofitfrommotiveswhichweentirelygoalongwith。Ourheartmustadopttheprinciplesoftheagent，andgoalongwithalltheaffectionswhichinfluencedhisconduct，beforeitcanentirelysympathizewith，andbeattimeto，thegratitudeofthepersonwhohasbeenbenefitedbyhisactions。Ifintheconductofthebenefactorthereappearstohavebeennopropriety，howbeneficialsoeveritseffects，itdoesnotseemtodemand，ornecessarilytorequire，anyproportionablerecompense。

Butwhentothebeneficenttendencyoftheactionisjoinedtheproprietyoftheaffectionfromwhichitproceeds，whenweentirelysympathizeandgoalongwiththemotivesoftheagent，thelovewhichweconceiveforhimuponhisownaccount，enhancesandenlivensourfellow-feelingwiththegratitudeofthosewhoowetheirprosperitytohisgoodconduct。Hisactionsseemthentodemand，and，ifImaysayso，tocallaloudforaproportionablerecompense。Wethenentirelyenterintothatgratitudewhichpromptstobestowit。Thebenefactorseemsthentobetheproperobjectofreward，whenwethusentirelysympathizewith，andapproveof，thatsentimentwhichpromptstorewardhim。Whenweapproveof，andgoalongwith，theaffectionfromwhichtheactionproceeds，wemustnecessarilyapproveoftheaction，andregardthepersontowardswhomitisdirected，asitsproperandsuitableobject。

Inthesamemanner，wecannotatallsympathizewiththeresentmentofonemanagainstanother，merelybecausethisotherhasbeenthecauseofhismisfortune，unlesshehasbeenthecauseofitfrommotiveswhichwecannotenterinto。Beforewecanadopttheresentmentofthesufferer，wemustdisapproveofthemotivesoftheagent，andfeelthatourheartrenouncesallsympathywiththeaffectionswhichinfluencedhisconduct。Ifthereappearstohavebeennoimproprietyinthese，howfatalsoeverthetendencyoftheactionwhichproceedsfromthemtothoseagainstwhomitisdirected，itdoesnotseemtodeserveanypunishment，ortobetheproperobjectofanyresentment。

Butwhentothehurtfulnessoftheactionisjoinedtheimproprietyoftheaffectionfromwhenceitproceeds，whenourheartrejectswithabhorrenceallfellow-feelingwiththemotivesoftheagent，wethenheartilyandentirelysympathizewiththeresentmentofthesufferer。Suchactionsseemthentodeserve，and，ifImaysayso，tocallaloudfor，aproportionablepunishment；andweentirelyenterinto，andtherebyapproveof，thatresentmentwhichpromptstoinflictit。Theoffendernecessarilyseemsthentobetheproperobjectofpunishment，whenwethusentirelysympathizewith，andtherebyapproveof，thatsentimentwhichpromptstopunish。Inthiscasetoo，whenweapprove，andgoalongwith，theaffectionfromwhichtheactionproceeds，wemustnecessarilyapproveoftheaction，andregardthepersonagainstwhomitisdirected，asitsproperandsuitableobject。

TheanalysisofthesenseofMeritandDemerit1。Asoursense，therefore，oftheproprietyofconductarisesfromwhatIshallcalladirectsympathywiththeaffectionsandmotivesofthepersonwhoacts，sooursenseofitsmeritarisesfromwhatIshallcallanindirectsympathywiththegratitudeofthepersonwhois，ifImaysayso，actedupon。

Aswecannotindeedenterthoroughlyintothegratitudeofthepersonwhoreceivesthebenefit，unlesswebeforehandapproveofthemotivesofthebenefactor，so，uponthisaccount，thesenseofmeritseemstobeacompoundedsentiment，andtobemadeupoftwodistinctemotions；adirectsympathywiththesentimentsoftheagent，andanindirectsympathywiththegratitudeofthosewhoreceivethebenefitofhisactions。

Wemay，uponmanydifferentoccasions，plainlydistinguishthosetwodifferentemotionscombiningandunitingtogetherinoursenseofthegooddesertofaparticularcharacteroraction。

Whenwereadinhistoryconcerningactionsofproperandbeneficentgreatnessofmind，howeagerlydoweenterintosuchdesigns？Howmuchareweanimatedbythathigh-spiritedgenerositywhichdirectsthem？Howkeenarewefortheirsuccess？

Howgrievedattheirdisappointment？Inimaginationwebecometheverypersonwhoseactionsarerepresentedtous:wetransportourselvesinfancytothescenesofthosedistantandforgottenadventures，andimagineourselvesactingthepartofaScipiooraCamillus，aTimoleonoranAristides。Sofaroursentimentsarefoundeduponthedirectsympathywiththepersonwhoacts。Noristheindirectsympathywiththosewhoreceivethebenefitofsuchactionslesssensiblyfelt。Wheneverweplaceourselvesinthesituationoftheselast，withwhatwarmandaffectionatefellow-feelingdoweenterintotheirgratitudetowardsthosewhoservedthemsoessentially？Weembrace，asitwere，theirbenefactoralongwiththem。Ourheartreadilysympathizeswiththehighesttransportsoftheirgratefulaffection。Nohonours，norewards，wethink，canbetoogreatforthemtobestowuponhim。Whentheymakethisproperreturnforhisservices，weheartilyapplaudandgoalongwiththem；butareshockedbeyondallmeasure，ifbytheirconducttheyappeartohavelittlesenseoftheobligationsconferreduponthem。Ourwholesense，inshort，ofthemeritandgooddesertofsuchactions，oftheproprietyandfitnessofrecompensingthem，andmakingthepersonwhoperformedthemrejoiceinhisturn，arisesfromthesympatheticemotionsofgratitudeandlove，withwhich，whenwebringhometoourownbreastthesituationofthoseprincipallyconcerned，wefeelourselvesnaturallytransportedtowardsthemanwhocouldactwithsuchproperandnoblebeneficence。

Inthesamemannerasoursenseoftheimproprietyofconductarisesfromawantofsympathy，orfromadirectantipathytotheaffectionsandmotivesoftheagent，sooursenseofitsdemeritarisesfromwhatIshallheretoocallanindirectsympathywiththeresentmentofthesufferer。

Aswecannotindeedenterintotheresentmentofthesufferer，unlessourheartbeforehanddisapprovesthemotivesoftheagent，andrenouncesallfellow-feelingwiththem；souponthisaccountthesenseofdemerit，aswellasthatofmerit，seemstobeacompoundedsentiment，andtobemadeupoftwodistinctemotions；adirectantipathytothesentimentsoftheagent，andanindirectsympathywiththeresentmentofthesufferer。

Wemayheretoo，uponmanydifferentoccasions，plainlydistinguishthosetwodifferentemotionscombiningandunitingtogetherinoursenseoftheilldesertofaparticularcharacteroraction。WhenwereadinhistoryconcerningtheperfidyandcrueltyofaBorgiaoraNero，ourheartrisesupagainstthedetestablesentimentswhichinfluencedtheirconduct，andrenounceswithhorrorandabominationallfellow-feelingwithsuchexecrablemotives。Sofaroursentimentsarefoundeduponthedirectantipathytotheaffectionsoftheagent:andtheindirectsympathywiththeresentmentofthesufferersisstillmoresensiblyfelt。Whenwebringhometoourselvesthesituationofthepersonswhomthosescourgesofmankindinsulted，murdered，orbetrayed，whatindignationdowenotfeelagainstsuchinsolentandinhumanoppressorsoftheearth？Oursympathywiththeunavoidabledistressoftheinnocentsufferersisnotmorerealnormorelively，thanourfellow-feelingwiththeirjustandnaturalresentment:Theformersentimentonlyheightensthelatter，andtheideaoftheirdistressservesonlytoinflameandblowupouranimosityagainstthosewhooccasionedit。Whenwethinkoftheanguishofthesufferers，wetakepartwiththemmoreearnestlyagainsttheiroppressors；weenterwithmoreeagernessintoalltheirschemesofvengeance，andfeelourselveseverymomentwreaking，inimagination，uponsuchviolatorsofthelawsofsociety，thatpunishmentwhichoursympatheticindignationtellsusisduetotheircrimes。Oursenseofthehorroranddreadfulatrocityofsuchconduct，thedelightwhichwetakeinhearingthatitwasproperlypunished，theindignationwhichwefeelwhenitescapesthisdueretaliation，ourwholesenseandfeeling，inshort，ofitsilldesert，oftheproprietyandfitnessofinflictingeviluponthepersonwhoisguiltyofit，andofmakinghimgrieveinhisturn，arisesfromthesympatheticindignationwhichnaturallyboilsupinthebreastofthespectator，wheneverhethoroughlybringshometohimselfthecaseofthesufferer

OfJusticeandBeneficenceChap。I

ComparisonofthosetwovirtuesActionsofabeneficenttendency，whichproceedfrompropermotives，seemalonetorequirereward。becausesuchalonearetheapprovedobjectsofgratitude，orexcitethesympatheticgratitudeofthespectator。

Actionsofahurtfultendency，whichproceedfromimpropermotives，seemalonetodeservepunishment；becausesuchalonearetheapprovedobjectsofresentment，orexcitethesympatheticresentmentofthespectator。

Beneficenceisalwaysfree，itcannotbeextortedbyforce，themerewantofitexposestonopunishment；becausethemerewantofbeneficencetendstodonorealpositiveevil。Itmaydisappointofthegoodwhichmightreasonablyhavebeenexpected，anduponthataccountitmayjustlyexcitedislikeanddisapprobation:itcannot，however，provokeanyresentmentwhichmankindwillgoalongwith。Themanwhodoesnotrecompensehisbenefactorwhenhehasitinhispower，andwhenhisbenefactorneedshisassistance，is，nodoubt，guiltyoftheblackestingratitude。Theheartofeveryimpartialspectatorrejectsallfellow-feelingwiththeselfishnessofhismotives，andheistheproperobjectofthehighestdisapprobation。Butstillhedoesnopositivehurttoanybody。Heonlydoesnotdothatgoodwhichinproprietyheoughttohavedone。Heistheobjectofhatred，apassionwhichisnaturallyexcitedbyimproprietyofsentimentandbehaviour。notofresentment，apassionwhichisneverproperlycalledforthbutbyactionswhichtendtodorealandpositivehurttosomeparticularpersons。Hiswantofgratitude，therefore，cannotbepunished。Toobligehimbyforcetoperformwhatingratitudeheoughttoperform，andwhateveryimpartialspectatorwouldapproveofhimforperforming，would，ifpossible，bestillmoreimproperthanhisneglectingtoperformit。Hisbenefactorwoulddishonourhimselfifheattemptedbyviolencetoconstrainhimtogratitude，anditwouldbeimpertinentforanythirdperson，whowasnotthesuperiorofeither，tointermeddle。Butofallthedutiesofbeneficence，thosewhichgratituderecommendstousapproachnearesttowhatiscalledaperfectandcompleteobligation。Whatfriendship，whatgenerosity，whatcharity，wouldpromptustodowithuniversalapprobation，isstillmorefree，andcanstilllessbeextortedbyforcethanthedutiesofgratitude。Wetalkofthedebtofgratitude，notofcharity，orgenerosity，norevenoffriendship，whenfriendshipismereesteem，andhasnotbeenenhancedandcomplicatedwithgratitudeforgoodoffices。