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。