andamanmustbe，insomemeasure，acquaintedwiththephilosophyofvision，beforehecanbethoroughlyconvinced，howlittlethosedistantobjectswouldappeartotheeye，iftheimagination，fromaknowledgeoftheirrealmagnitudes，didnotswellanddilatethem。
Inthesamemanner，totheselfishandoriginalpassionsofhumannature，thelossorgainofaverysmallinterestofourown，appearstobeofvastlymoreimportance，excitesamuchmorepassionatejoyorsorrow，amuchmoreardentdesireoraversion，thanthegreatestconcernofanotherwithwhomwehavenoparticularconnexion。Hisinterests，aslongastheyaresurveyedfromthisstation，canneverbeputintothebalancewithourown，canneverrestrainusfromdoing。whatevermaytendtopromoteourown，howruinoussoevertohim。Beforewecanmakeanypropercomparisonofthoseoppositeinterests，wemustchangeourposition。Wemustviewthem，neitherfromourownplacenoryetfromhis，neitherwithourowneyesnoryetwithhis，butfromtheplaceandwiththeeyesofathirdperson，whohasnoparticularconnexionwitheither，andwhojudgeswithimpartialitybetweenus。Here，too，habitandexperiencehavetaughtustodothissoeasilyandsoreadily，thatwearescarcesensiblethatwedoit；anditrequires，inthiscasetoo，somedegreeofreflection，andevenofphilosophy，toconvinceus，howlittleinterestweshouldtakeinthegreatestconcernsofourneighbour，howlittleweshouldbeaffectedbywhateverrelatestohim，ifthesenseofproprietyandjusticedidnotcorrecttheotherwisenaturalinequalityofoursentiments。
LetussupposethatthegreatempireofChina，withallitsmyriadsofinhabitants，wassuddenlyswallowedupbyanearthquake，andletusconsiderhowamanofhumanityinEurope，whohadnosortofconnexionwiththatpartoftheworld，wouldbeaffecteduponreceivingintelligenceofthisdreadfulcalamity。Hewould，Iimagine，firstofall，expressverystronglyhissorrowforthemisfortuneofthatunhappypeople，hewouldmakemanymelancholyreflectionsupontheprecariousnessofhumanlife，andthevanityofallthelaboursofman，whichcouldthusbeannihilatedinamoment。Hewouldtoo，perhaps，ifhewasamanofspeculation，enterintomanyreasoningsconcerningtheeffectswhichthisdisastermightproduceuponthecommerceofEurope，andthetradeandbusinessoftheworldingeneral。Andwhenallthisfinephilosophywasover，whenallthesehumanesentimentshadbeenoncefairlyexpressed，hewouldpursuehisbusinessorhispleasure，takehisreposeorhisdiversion，withthesameeaseandtranquillity，asifnosuchaccidenthadhappened。Themostfrivolousdisasterwhichcouldbefalhimselfwouldoccasionamorerealdisturbance。Ifhewastolosehislittlefingerto-morrow，hewouldnotsleepto-night；but，providedheneversawthem，hewillsnorewiththemostprofoundsecurityovertheruinofahundredmillionsofhisbrethren，andthedestructionofthatimmensemultitudeseemsplainlyanobjectlessinterestingtohim，thanthispaltrymisfortuneofhisown。
Toprevent，therefore，thispaltrymisfortunetohimself，wouldamanofhumanitybewillingtosacrificethelivesofahundredmillionsofhisbrethren，providedhehadneverseenthem？Humannaturestartleswithhorroratthethought，andtheworld，initsgreatestdepravityandcorruption，neverproducedsuchavillainascouldbecapableofentertainingit。Butwhatmakesthisdifference？Whenourpassivefeelingsarealmostalwayssosordidandsoselfish，howcomesitthatouractiveprinciplesshouldoftenbesogenerousandsonoble？Whenwearealwayssomuchmoredeeplyaffectedbywhateverconcernsourselves，thanbywhateverconcernsothermen；whatisitwhichpromptsthegenerous，uponalloccasions，andthemeanuponmany，tosacrificetheirownintereststothegreaterinterestsofothers？
Itisnotthesoftpowerofhumanity，itisnotthatfeeblesparkofbenevolencewhichNaturehaslightedupinthehumanheart，thatisthuscapableofcounteractingthestrongestimpulsesofself-love。Itisastrongerpower，amoreforciblemotive，whichexertsitselfuponsuchoccasions。Itisreason，principle，conscience，theinhabitantofthebreast，themanwithin，thegreatjudgeandarbiterofourconduct。Itishewho，wheneverweareabouttoactsoastoaffectthehappinessofothers，callstous，withavoicecapableofastonishingthemostpresumptuousofourpassions，thatwearebutoneofthemultitude，innorespectbetterthananyotherinit；andthatwhenwepreferourselvessoshamefullyandsoblindlytoothers，webecometheproperobjectsofresentment，abhorrence，andexecration。Itisfromhimonlythatwelearnthereallittlenessofourselves，andofwhateverrelatestoourselves，andthenaturalmisrepresentationsofself-lovecanbecorrectedonlybytheeyeofthisimpartialspectator。Itishewhoshowsustheproprietyofgenerosityandthedeformityofinjustice；theproprietyofresigningthegreatestinterestsofourown，fortheyetgreaterinterestsofothers，andthedeformityofdoingthesmallestinjurytoanother，inordertoobtainthegreatestbenefittoourselves。Itisnottheloveofourneighbour，itisnottheloveofmankind，whichuponmanyoccasionspromptsustothepracticeofthosedivinevirtues。Itisastrongerlove，amorepowerfulaffection，whichgenerallytakesplaceuponsuchoccasions；theloveofwhatishonourableandnoble，ofthegrandeur，anddignity，andsuperiorityofourowncharacters。
Whenthehappinessormiseryofothersdependsinanyrespectuponourconduct，wedarenot，asself-lovemightsuggesttous，prefertheinterestofonetothatofmany。Themanwithinimmediatelycallstous，thatwevalueourselvestoomuchandotherpeopletoolittle，andthat，bydoingso，werenderourselvestheproperobjectofthecontemptandindignationofourbrethren。Neitheristhissentimentconfinedtomenofextraordinarymagnanimityandvirtue。Itisdeeplyimpresseduponeverytolerablygoodsoldier，whofeelsthathewouldbecomethescornofhiscompanions，ifhecouldbesupposedcapableofshrinkingfromdanger，orofhesitating，eithertoexposeortothrowawayhislife，whenthegoodoftheservicerequiredit。
Oneindividualmustneverpreferhimselfsomucheventoanyotherindividual，astohurtorinjurethatother，inordertobenefithimself，thoughthebenefittotheoneshouldbemuchgreaterthanthehurtorinjurytotheother。Thepoormanmustneitherdefraudnorstealfromtherich，thoughtheacquisitionmightbemuchmorebeneficialtotheonethanthelosscouldbehurtfultotheother。Themanwithinimmediatelycallstohim，inthiscasetoo，thatheisnobetterthanhisneighbour，andthatbythisunjustpreferenceherendershimselftheproperobjectofthecontemptandindignationofmankind；aswellasofthepunishmentwhichthatcontemptandindignationmustnaturallydisposethemtoinflict，forhavingthusviolatedoneofthosesacredrules，uponthetolerableobservationofwhichdependthewholesecurityandpeaceofhumansociety。Thereisnocommonlyhonestmanwhodoesnotmoredreadtheinwarddisgraceofsuchanaction，theindeliblestainwhichitwouldforeverstampuponhisownmind，thanthegreatestexternalcalamitywhich，withoutanyfaultofhisown，couldpossiblybefalhim；andwhodoesnotinwardlyfeelthetruthofthatgreatstoicalmaxim，thatforonemantodepriveanotherunjustlyofanything，orunjustlytopromotehisownadvantagebythelossordisadvantageofanother，ismorecontrarytonature，thandeath，thanpoverty，thanpain，thanallthemisfortuneswhichcanaffecthim，eitherinhisbody，orinhisexternalcircumstances。
Whenthehappinessormiseryofothers，indeed，innorespectdependsuponourconduct，whenourinterestsarealtogetherseparatedanddetachedfromtheirs，sothatthereisneitherconnexionnorcompetitionbetweenthem，wedonotalwaysthinkitsonecessarytorestrain，eitherournaturaland，perhaps，improperanxietyaboutourownaffairs，orournaturaland，perhaps，equallyimproperindifferenceaboutthoseofothermen。
Themostvulgareducationteachesustoact，uponallimportantoccasions，withsomesortofimpartialitybetweenourselvesandothers，andeventheordinarycommerceoftheworldiscapableofadjustingouractiveprinciplestosomedegreeofpropriety。Butitisthemostartificialandrefinededucationonly，ithasbeensaid，whichcancorrecttheinequalitiesofourpassivefeelings；
andwemustforthispurpose，ithasbeenpretended，haverecoursetotheseverest，aswellastotheprofoundestphilosophy。
Twodifferentsetsofphilosophershaveattemptedtoteachusthishardestofallthelessonsofmorality。Onesethavelabouredtoincreaseoursensibilitytotheinterestsofothers；
another，todiminishthattoourown。Thefirstwouldhaveusfeelforothersaswenaturallyfeelforourselves。Thesecondwouldhaveusfeelforourselvesaswenaturallyfeelforothers。
Both，perhaps，havecarriedtheirdoctrinesagooddealbeyondthejuststandardofnatureandpropriety。
Thefirstarethosewhiningandmelancholymoralists，whoareperpetuallyreproachinguswithourhappiness，whilesomanyofourbrethrenareinmisery，(2*)whoregardasimpiousthenaturaljoyofprosperity，whichdoesnotthinkofthemanywretchesthatareateveryinstantlabouringunderallsortsofcalamities，inthelanguorofpoverty，intheagonyofdisease，inthehorrorsofdeath，undertheinsultsandoppressionoftheirenemies。Commiserationforthosemiserieswhichweneversaw，whichweneverheardof，butwhichwemaybeassuredareatalltimesinfestingsuchnumbersofourfellow-creatures，ought，theythink，todampthepleasuresofthefortunate，andtorenderacertainmelancholydejectionhabitualtoallmen。Butfirstofall，thisextremesympathywithmisfortuneswhichweknownothingabout，seemsaltogetherabsurdandunreasonable。Takethewholeearthatanaverage，foronemanwhosufferspainormisery，youwillfindtwentyinprosperityandjoy，oratleastintolerablecircumstances。Noreason，surely，canbeassignedwhyweshouldratherweepwiththeonethanrejoicewiththetwenty。Thisartificialcommiseration，besides，isnotonlyabsurd，butseemsaltogetherunattainable；andthosewhoaffectthischaracterhavecommonlynothingbutacertainaffectedandsentimentalsadness，which，withoutreachingtheheart，servesonlytorenderthecountenanceandconversationimpertinentlydismalanddisagreeable。Andlastofall，thisdispositionofmind，thoughitcouldbeattained，wouldbeperfectlyuseless，andcouldservenootherpurposethantorendermiserablethepersonwhopossessedit。Whateverinterestwetakeinthefortuneofthosewithwhomwehavenoacquaintanceorconnexion，andwhoareplacedaltogetheroutofthesphereofouractivity，canproduceonlyanxietytoourselves，withoutanymannerofadvantagetothem。Towhatpurposeshouldwetroubleourselvesabouttheworldinthemoon？Allmen，eventhoseatthegreatestdistance，arenodoubtentitledtoourgoodwishes，andourgoodwisheswenaturallygivethem。Butif，notwithstanding，theyshouldbeunfortunate，togiveourselvesanyanxietyuponthataccount，seemstobenopartofourduty。Thatweshouldbebutlittleinterested，therefore，inthefortuneofthosewhomwecanneitherservenorhurt，andwhoareineveryrespectsoveryremotefromus，seemswiselyorderedbyNature；andifitwerepossibletoalterinthisrespecttheoriginalconstitutionofourframe，wecouldyetgainnothingbythechange。
Itisneverobjectedtousthatwehavetoolittlefellow-feelingwiththejoyofsuccess。Whereverenvydoesnotpreventit，thefavourwhichwebeartoprosperityisratherapttobetoogreat；andthesamemoralistswhoblameusforwantofsufficientsympathywiththemiserable，reproachusforthelevitywithwhichwearetooapttoadmireandalmosttoworshipthefortunate，thepowerful，andtherich。
