whentheinsolenceofhisinjusticeisbrokenandhumbledbytheterrorofhisapproachingpunishment；whenheceasestobeanobjectoffear，withthegenerousandhumanehebeginstobeanobjectofpity。Thethoughtofwhatheisabouttosufferextinguishestheirresentmentforthesufferingsofotherstowhichhehasgivenoccasion。Theyaredisposedtopardonandforgivehim，andtosavehimfromthatpunishment，whichinalltheircoolhourstheyhadconsideredastheretributionduetosuchcrimes。Here，therefore，theyhaveoccasiontocalltotheirassistancetheconsiderationofthegeneralinterestofsociety。
Theycounterbalancetheimpulseofthisweakandpartialhumanitybythedictatesofahumanitythatismoregenerousandcomprehensive。Theyreflectthatmercytotheguiltyiscrueltytotheinnocent，andopposetotheemotionsofcompassionwhichtheyfeelforaparticularperson，amoreenlargedcompassionwhichtheyfeelformankind。
Sometimestoowehaveoccasiontodefendtheproprietyofobservingthegeneralrulesofjusticebytheconsiderationoftheirnecessitytothesupportofsociety。Wefrequentlyheartheyoungandthelicentiousridiculingthemostsacredrulesofmorality，andprofessing，sometimesfromthecorruption，butmorefrequentlyfromthevanityoftheirhearts，themostabominablemaximsofconduct。Ourindignationrouses，andweareeagertorefuteandexposesuchdetestableprinciples。Butthoughitistheirintrinsichatefulnessanddetestableness，whichoriginallyinflamesusagainstthem，weareunwillingtoassignthisasthesolereasonwhywecondemnthem，ortopretendthatitismerelybecauseweourselveshateanddetestthem。Thereason，wethink，wouldnotappeartobeconclusive。Yetwhyshoulditnot；ifwehateanddetestthembecausetheyarethenaturalandproperobjectsofhatredanddetestation？Butwhenweareaskedwhyweshouldnotactinsuchorsuchamanner，theveryquestionseemstosupposethat，tothosewhoaskit，thismannerofactingdoesnotappeartobeforitsownsakethenaturalandproperobjectofthosesentiments。Wemustshowthem，therefore，thatitoughttobesoforthesakeofsomethingelse。Uponthisaccountwegenerallycastaboutforotherarguments，andtheconsiderationwhichfirstoccurstous，isthedisorderandconfusionofsocietywhichwouldresultfromtheuniversalprevalenceofsuchpractices。Weseldomfail，therefore，toinsistuponthistopic。
Butthoughitcommonlyrequiresnogreatdiscernmenttoseethedestructivetendencyofalllicentiouspracticestothewelfareofsociety，itisseldomthisconsiderationwhichfirstanimatesusagainstthem。Allmen，eventhemoststupidandunthinking，abhorfraud，perfidy，andinjustice，anddelighttoseethempunished。Butfewmenhavereflecteduponthenecessityofjusticetotheexistenceofsociety，howobvioussoeverthatnecessitymayappeartobe。
Thatitisnotaregardtothepreservationofsociety，whichoriginallyinterestsusinthepunishmentofcrimescommittedagainstindividuals，maybedemonstratedbymanyobviousconsiderations。Theconcernwhichwetakeinthefortuneandhappinessofindividualsdoesnot，incommoncases，arisefromthatwhichwetakeinthefortuneandhappinessofsociety。Wearenomoreconcernedforthedestructionorlossofasingleman，becausethismanisamemberorpartofsociety，andbecauseweshouldbeconcernedforthedestructionofsociety，thanweareconcernedforthelossofasingleguinea，becausethisguineaisapartofathousandguineas，andbecauseweshouldbeconcernedforthelossofthewholesum。Inneithercasedoesourregardfortheindividualsarisefromourregardforthemultitude:butinbothcasesourregardforthemultitudeiscompoundedandmadeupoftheparticularregardswhichwefeelforthedifferentindividualsofwhichitiscomposed。Aswhenasmallsumisunjustlytakenfromus，wedonotsomuchprosecutetheinjuryfromaregardtothepreservationofourwholefortune，asfromaregardtothatparticularsumwhichwehavelost；sowhenasinglemanisinjured，ordestroyed，wedemandthepunishmentofthewrongthathasbeendonetohim，notsomuchfromaconcernforthegeneralinterestofsociety，asfromaconcernforthatveryindividualwhohasbeeninjured。Itistobeobserved，however，thatthisconcerndoesnotnecessarilyincludeinitanydegreeofthoseexquisitesentimentswhicharecommonlycalledlove，esteem，andaffection，andbywhichwedistinguishourparticularfriendsandacquaintance。Theconcernwhichisrequisiteforthis，isnomorethanthegeneralfellow-feelingwhichwehavewitheverymanmerelybecauseheisourfellow-creature。Weenterintotheresentmentevenofanodiousperson，whenheisinjuredbythosetowhomhehasgivennoprovocation。Ourdisapprobationofhisordinarycharacterandconductdoesnotinthiscasealtogetherpreventourfellow-feelingwithhisnaturalindignation；thoughwiththosewhoarenoteitherextremelycandid，orwhohavenotbeenaccustomedtocorrectandregulatetheirnaturalsentimentsbygeneralrules，itisveryapttodampit。
Uponsomeoccasions，indeed，webothpunishandapproveofpunishment，merelyfromaviewtothegeneralinterestofsociety，which，weimagine，cannototherwisebesecured。Ofthiskindareallthepunishmentsinflictedforbreachesofwhatiscalledeithercivilpolice，ormilitarydiscipline。Suchcrimesdonotimmediatelyordirectlyhurtanyparticularperson；buttheirremoteconsequences，itissupposed，doproduce，ormightproduce，eitheraconsiderableinconveniency，oragreatdisorderinthesociety。Acentinel，forexample，whofallsasleepuponhiswatch，suffersdeathbythelawsofwar，becausesuchcarelessnessmightendangerthewholearmy。Thisseveritymay，uponmanyoccasions，appearnecessary，and，forthatreason，justandproper。Whenthepreservationofanindividualisinconsistentwiththesafetyofamultitude，nothingcanbemorejustthanthatthemanyshouldbepreferredtotheone。Yetthispunishment，hownecessarysoever，alwaysappearstobeexcessivelysevere。Thenaturalatrocityofthecrimeseemstobesolittle，andthepunishmentsogreat，thatitiswithgreatdifficultythatourheartcanreconcileitselftoit。Thoughsuchcarelessnessappearsveryblamable，yetthethoughtofthiscrimedoesnotnaturallyexciteanysuchresentment，aswouldpromptustotakesuchdreadfulrevenge。Amanofhumanitymustrecollecthimself，mustmakeaneffort，andexerthiswholefirmnessandresolution，beforehecanbringhimselfeithertoinflictit，ortogoalongwithitwhenitisinflictedbyothers。Itisnot，however，inthismanner，thathelooksuponthejustpunishmentofanungratefulmurdererorparricide。Hisheart，inthiscase，applaudswithardour，andevenwithtransport，thejustretaliationwhichseemsduetosuchdetestablecrimes，andwhich，if，byanyaccident，theyshouldhappentoescape，hewouldbehighlyenragedanddisappointed。Theverydifferentsentimentswithwhichthespectatorviewsthosedifferentpunishments，isaproofthathisapprobationoftheoneisfarfrombeingfoundeduponthesameprincipleswiththatoftheother。Helooksuponthecentinelasanunfortunatevictim，who，indeed，must，andoughttobe，devotedtothesafetyofnumbers，butwhomstill，inhisheart，hewouldbegladtosave；andheisonlysorry，thattheinterestofthemanyshouldopposeit。Butifthemurderershouldescapefrompunishment，itwouldexcitehishighestindignation，andhewouldcalluponGodtoavenge，inanotherworld，thatcrimewhichtheinjusticeofmankindhadneglectedtochastiseuponearth。
Foritwelldeservestobetakennoticeof，thatwearesofarfromimaginingthatinjusticeoughttobepunishedinthislife，merelyonaccountoftheorderofsociety，whichcannototherwisebemaintained，thatNatureteachesustohope，andreligion，wesuppose，authorisesustoexpect，thatitwillbepunished，eveninalifetocome。Oursenseofitsilldesertpursuesit，ifImaysayso，evenbeyondthegrave，thoughtheexampleofitspunishmenttherecannotservetodetertherestofmankind，whoseeitnot，whoknowitnot，frombeingguiltyofthelikepracticeshere。ThejusticeofGod，however，wethink，stillrequires，thatheshouldhereafteravengetheinjuriesofthewidowandthefatherless，whoareheresoofteninsultedwithimpunity。Ineveryreligion，andineverysuperstitionthattheworldhaseverbeheld，accordingly，therehasbeenaTartarusaswellasanElysium；aplaceprovidedforthepunishmentofthewicked，aswellasonefortherewardofthejust。
OftheInfluenceofFortuneupontheSentimentsofMankind，withregardtotheMeritorDemeritofActionsWhateverpraiseorblamecanbeduetoanyaction，mustbelongeither，first，totheintentionoraffectionoftheheart，fromwhichitproceeds；or，secondly，totheexternalactionormovementofthebody，whichthisaffectiongivesoccasionto；or，lastly，tothegoodorbadconsequences，whichactually，andinfact，proceedfromit。Thesethreedifferentthingsconstitutethewholenatureandcircumstancesoftheaction，andmustbethefoundationofwhateverqualitycanbelongtoit。
Thatthetwolastofthesethreecircumstancescannotbethefoundationofanypraiseorblame，isabundantlyevident；norhasthecontraryeverbeenassertedbyanybody。Theexternalactionormovementofthebodyisoftenthesameinthemostinnocentandinthemostblameableactions。Hewhoshootsabird，andhewhoshootsaman，bothofthemperformthesameexternalmovement:eachofthemdrawsthetriggerofagun。Theconsequenceswhichactually，andinfact，happentoproceedfromanyaction，are，ifpossible，stillmoreindifferenteithertopraiseorblame，thaneventheexternalmovementofthebody。Astheydepend，notupontheagent，butuponfortune，theycannotbetheproperfoundationforanysentiment，ofwhichhischaracterandconductaretheobjects。
Theonlyconsequencesforwhichhecanbeanswerable，orbywhichhecandeserveeitherapprobationordisapprobationofanykind，arethosewhichweresomewayorotherintended，orthosewhich，atleast，showsomeagreeableordisagreeablequalityintheintentionoftheheart，fromwhichheacted。Totheintentionoraffectionoftheheart，therefore，totheproprietyorimpropriety，tothebeneficenceorhurtfulnessofthedesign，allpraiseorblame，allapprobationordisapprobation，ofanykind，whichcanjustlybebestoweduponanyaction，mustultimatelybelong。
Whenthismaximisthusproposed，inabstractandgeneralterms，thereisnobodywhodoesnotagreetoit。Itsself-evidentjusticeisacknowledgedbyalltheworld，andthereisnotadissentingvoiceamongallmankind。Everybodyallows，thathowdifferentsoevertheaccidental，theunintendedandunforeseenconsequencesofdifferentactions，yet，iftheintentionsoraffectionsfromwhichtheyarosewere，ontheonehand，equallyproperandequallybeneficent，or，ontheother，equallyimproperandequallymalevolent，themeritordemeritoftheactionsisstillthesame，andtheagentisequallythesuitableobjecteitherofgratitudeorofresentment。
Buthowwellsoeverwemayseemtobepersuadedofthetruthofthisequitablemaxim，whenweconsideritafterthismanner，inabstract，yetwhenwecometoparticularcases，theactualconsequenceswhichhappentoproceedfromanyaction，haveaverygreateffectuponoursentimentsconcerningitsmeritordemerit，andalmostalwayseitherenhanceordiminishoursenseofboth。
Scarce，inanyoneinstance，perhaps，willoursentimentsbefound，afterexamination，tobeentirelyregulatedbythisrule，whichweallacknowledgeoughtentirelytoregulatethem。
Thisirregularityofsentiment，whicheverybodyfeels，whichscarceanybodyissufficientlyawareof，andwhichnobodyiswillingtoacknowledge，Iproceednowtoexplain；andIshallconsider，first，thecausewhichgivesoccasiontoit，orthemechanismbywhichnatureproducesit；secondly，theextentofitsinfluence；and，lastofall，theendwhichitanswers，orthepurposewhichtheAuthorofnatureseemstohaveintendedbyit。
