![]() The man who barely abstains from violating either the person, or the estate, or the reputation of his neighbours, has surely very little positive merit. ![]() ![]() This disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and powerful, and to despise or, at least, neglect persons of poor and mean conditions, though necessary both to establish and to maintain the distinction of ranks and the order of society, is, at the same time, the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments.Hatred and anger are the greatest poison to the happiness of a good mind.As to love our neighbour as we love ourselves is the great law of Christianity, so it is the great precept of nature to love ourselves only as we love our neighbour, or what comes to the same thing, as our neighbour is capable of loving us.Men of retirement and speculation, who are apt to sit brooding at home over either grief or resentment, though they may often have more humanity, more generosity, and a nicer sense of honour, yet seldom possess that equality of temper which is so common among men of the world. Society and conversation, therefore, are the most powerful remedies for restoring the mind to its tranquillity, if, at any time, it has unfortunately lost it as well as the best preservatives of that equal and happy temper, which is so necessary to self-satisfaction and enjoyment.I neither have, nor can have, any other way of judging about them. I judge of your sight by my sight, of your ear by my ear, of your reason by my reason, of your resentment by my resentment, of your love by my love. Every faculty in one man is the measure by which he judges of the like faculty in another.How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it.The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) Part I Letter to Henry Dundas (1 November 1779), quoted in Adam Smith, The Correspondence of Adam Smith, eds.The general opulence and improvement of Ireland might certainly, under proper management, afford much greater resources to the Government, than can ever be drawn from a few mercantile or manufacturing towns. I perfectly agree with your Lordship too, that to crush the Industry of so great and so fine a province of the empire, in order to favour the monopoly of some particular towns in Scotland or England, is equally unjust and impolitic.The Future Hope in Adam Smith’s System, Paul Oslington Mossner and Ian Simpson Ross, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press 1986. The Correspondence of Adam Smith edited by E.C. Letter to Alexander Wedderburn 14 August 1776.Poor David Hume is dying very fast, but with great cheerfulness and good humour and with more real resignation to the necessary course of things then any whining Christian ever dyed with pretended resignation to the will of God.Letter to William Strahan (4 April 1760), quoted in Adam Smith, The Correspondence of Adam Smith, eds.The Union was a measure from which infinite Good has been derived to this country.I believe you to be much more infalliable than the Pope, but as I am a Protestant my conscience makes me scruple to submit to any unscriptural authority. To desire you to read my book over and mark all the corrections you would wish me to make.would oblige me greatly: I know how much I shall be benefitted and I shall at the same time preserve the pretious right of private judgement for the sake of which our forefathers kicked out the Pope and the Pretender.1.1 The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |