Astotheauthorityofourmoralfaculties，ofourperception，howsoeverderived，ofdifferentqualitiesinconduct，itis，inAdamSmith\'ssystem，anultimatefact，asindisputableastheauthorityofotherfacultiesovertheirrespectiveobjects；forexample，astheauthorityoftheeyeaboutbeautyofcolour，orasthatoftheearaboutharmonyofsounds。\"Ourmoralfaculties，ournaturalsenseofmeritandpropriety，\"approveordisapproveofactionsinstantaneously，andthisapprovalorjudgmentistheirpeculiarfunction。Theyjudgeoftheotherfacultiesandprinciplesofournature；
howfar，forexample，loveorresentmentoughteithertobeindulgedorrestrained，andwhenthevarioussensesoughttobegratified。Hencetheycannotbesaidtobeonalevelwithourothernaturalfacultiesandappetites，andendowedwithnomorerighttorestrainthelatterthanthelatteraretorestrainthem。Therecanbenomoreappealfromthemabouttheirobjectsthanthereisfromtheeye，ortheear，orthetastewithregardtotheobjectsoftheirseveraljurisdictions。Accordingasanythingisagreeableornottothem，isitfit，right，andproper，orunfit，wrong，andimproper。
\"Thesentimentswhichtheyapproveofaregracefulandbecoming；thecontrary，ungracefulandunbecoming。Theverywords，right，wrong，fit，proper，graceful，orbecoming，meanonlywhatpleasesordispleasesthosefaculties。\"
Hencethequestionoftheauthorityofourmoralfacultiesisasfutileasthequestionoftheauthorityofthespecialsensesovertheirseveralobjects。For\"theycarryalongwiththemthemostevidentbadgesofthisauthority，whichdenotethattheyweresetupwithinustobethesupremearbiterofallouractions，tosuperintendalloursenses，passions，andappetites，andtojudgehowfareitherofthemwaseithertobeindulgedorrestrained。\"Thatistosay，itisimpossibleforourmoralfacultiestoapproveofonecourseofconductandtodisapproveofanother，andatthesametimetofeelthatthereisnoauthorityinthesentimentwhichpassesjudgmenteitherway。
PerhapsthepartofAdamSmith\'stheorywhichhasgivenleastsatisfactionishisaccountoftheethicalstandard，ormeasureofmoralactions。This，itwillberemembered，isnoneotherthanthesympatheticemotionoftheimpartialspectatorwhichseemsagaintoresolveitselfintothevoiceofpublicopinion。Itwillbeofinteresttofollowsomeofthecriticismthathasbeendevotedtothispoint，mostofwhichturnsonthemeaningofthewordimpartial。