Eighteenth Century Collection Online Demo

The theory of moral sentiments: By Adam Smith, ...

justly excite dislike and disapprobation: it cannot, however, provoke any resentment which mankind will go along with. The man who does not recompence his bene|factor, when he has it in his power, and when his benefactor needs his assistance, is, no doubt, guilty of the blackest in|gratitude. The heart of every impartial spectator rejects all fellow-feeling with the selfishness of his motives, and he is the pro|per object of the highest disapprobation. But still he does no posiive hurt to anybody; he only does not do that good which in pro|priety he ought to have done. He is the ob|ject of hatred, a passion which is naturally excited by impropriety of sentiment and behaviour; not of resentment, a passion which is never properly called forth but by actions which tend to do real and posi|tive hurt to some particular persons. His want of gratitude, therefore, cannot be punished. To oblige him by force to per|form what ingratitude he ought to per|form, and what every impartial spectator would approve of him for performing, would, if possible, be still more improper than his neglecting to perform it. His benefactor would dishonour himself if he
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Title
The theory of moral sentiments: By Adam Smith, ...
Author
Smith, Adam, 1723-1790.
Canvas
Page 171
Publication
London :: printed for A. Millar; and A. Kincaid and J. Bell, in Edinburgh,
1759.

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"The theory of moral sentiments: By Adam Smith, ..." In the digital collection Eighteenth Century Collection Online Demo. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eccodemo/k111361.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 12, 2025.
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