Opening the text

The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, an Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by Which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. to Which Is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages.Smith, Adam

Philosophy

The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, an Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by Which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. to Which Is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages.

Name: The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, an Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by Which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. to Which Is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages.
Author: Smith, Adam

Smith, Adam

Ethics -- Early works to 1800; Language and languages -- Early works to 1800

and ridiculous to the most injudicious and unexperienced reader.




                              SECTION III.
Of the different systems which have been formed concerning the principle
                            of approbation.


                             INTRODUCTION.

After the inquiry concerning the nature of virtue, the next question of
importance in Moral Philosophy, is concerning the principle of
approbation, concerning the power or faculty of the mind which renders
certain characters agreeable or disagreeable to us, makes us prefer one
tenour of conduct to another, denominate the one right and the other
wrong, and consider the one as the object of approbation, honour, and
reward; the other as that of blame, censure, and punishment.

Three different accounts have been given of this principle of
approbation. According to some, we approve and disapprove both of our
own actions and of those of others, from self-love only, or from some
view of their tendency to our own happiness or disadvantage; according
to others, reason, the same faculty by which we distinguish between
truth and falsehood, enables us to distinguish between what is fit and
unfit both in actions and affections: according to others this
distinction is altogether the effect of immediate sentiment and feeling,
and arises from the satisfaction or disgust with which the view of
certain actions or affections inspires us. Self-love, reason, and
sentiment, therefore, are the three different sources which have been
assigned for the principle of approbation.

Before I proceed to give an account of those different systems, I must
observe, that the determination of this second question, though of the
greatest importance in speculation, is of none in practice. The question
concerning the nature of virtue necessarily has some influence upon our
notions of right and wrong in many particular cases. That concerning the
principle of approbation can possibly have no such effect. To examine
from what contrivance or mechanism within, those different notions or
sentiments arise, is a mere matter of philosophical curiosity.




                                CHAP. I.
    _Of those systems which deduce the principle of approbation from
                              self-love._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Philosophy

The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, an Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by Which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. to Which Is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages.

Smith, Adam

Ethics -- Early works to 1800; Language and languages -- Early works to 1800

and ridiculous to the most injudicious and unexperienced reader.




                              SECTION III.
Of the different systems which have been formed concerning the principle
                            of approbation.


                             INTRODUCTION.

After the inquiry concerning the nature of virtue, the next question of
importance in Moral Philosophy, is concerning the principle of
approbation, concerning the power or faculty of the mind which renders
certain characters agreeable or disagreeable to us, makes us prefer one
tenour of conduct to another, denominate the one right and the other
wrong, and consider the one as the object of approbation, honour, and
reward; the other as that of blame, censure, and punishment.

Three different accounts have been given of this principle of
approbation. According to some, we approve and disapprove both of our
own actions and of those of others, from self-love only, or from some
view of their tendency to our own happiness or disadvantage; according
to others, reason, the same faculty by which we distinguish between
truth and falsehood, enables us to distinguish between what is fit and
unfit both in actions and affections: according to others this
distinction is altogether the effect of immediate sentiment and feeling,
and arises from the satisfaction or disgust with which the view of
certain actions or affections inspires us. Self-love, reason, and
sentiment, therefore, are the three different sources which have been
assigned for the principle of approbation.

Before I proceed to give an account of those different systems, I must
observe, that the determination of this second question, though of the
greatest importance in speculation, is of none in practice. The question
concerning the nature of virtue necessarily has some influence upon our
notions of right and wrong in many particular cases. That concerning the
principle of approbation can possibly have no such effect. To examine
from what contrivance or mechanism within, those different notions or
sentiments arise, is a mere matter of philosophical curiosity.




                                CHAP. I.
    _Of those systems which deduce the principle of approbation from
                              self-love._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, an Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by Which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. to Which Is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages.

The Theory of Moral Sentiments: Or, an Essay Towards an Analysis of the Principles by Which Men Naturally Judge Concerning the Conduct and Character, First of Their Neighbours, and Afterwards of Themselves. to Which Is Added, a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages.

No reviews yet