OftheCharacteroftheIndividual，sofarasitcanaffecttheHappinessofotherPeopleThecharacterofeveryindividual，sofarasitcanaffectthehappinessofotherpeople，mustdosobyitsdispositioneithertohurtortobenefitthem。
Properresentmentforinjusticeattempted，oractuallycommitted，istheonlymotivewhich，intheeyesoftheimpartialspectator，canjustifyourhurtingordisturbinginanyrespectthehappinessofourneighbour。Todosofromanyothermotiveisitselfaviolationofthelawsofjustice，whichforceoughttobeemployedeithertorestrainortopunish。Thewisdomofeverystateorcommonwealthendeavours，aswellasitcan，toemploytheforceofthesocietytorestrainthosewhoaresubjecttoitsauthority，fromhurtingordisturbingthehappinessofoneanother。Theruleswhichitestablishesforthispurpose，constitutethecivilandcriminallawofeachparticularstateorcountry。Theprinciplesuponwhichthoseruleseitherare，oroughttobefounded，arethesubjectofaparticularscience，ofallsciencesbyfarthemostimportant，buthitherto，perhaps，theleastcultivated，thatofnaturaljurisprudence，。concerningwhichitbelongsnottoourpresentsubjecttoenterintoanydetail。Asacredandreligiousregardnottohurtordisturbinanyrespectthehappinessofourneighbour，eveninthosecaseswherenolawcanproperlyprotecthim，constitutesthecharacteroftheperfectlyinnocentandjustman；acharacterwhich，whencarriedtoacertaindelicacyofattention，isalwayshighlyrespectableandevenvenerableforitsownsake，andcanscarceeverfailtobeaccompaniedwithmanyothervirtues，withgreatfeelingforotherpeople，withgreathumanityandgreatbenevolence。Itisacharactersufficientlyunderstood，andrequiresnofurtherexplanation。InthepresentsectionIshallonlyendeavourtoexplainthefoundationofthatorderwhichnatureseemstohavetracedoutforthedistributionofourgoodoffices，orforthedirectionandemploymentofourverylimitedpowersofbeneficence:first，towardsindividuals；andsecondly，towardssocieties。
Thesameunerringwisdom，itwillbefound，whichregulateseveryotherpartofherconduct，directs，inthisrespecttoo，theorderofherrecommendations；whicharealwaysstrongerorweakerinproportionasourbeneficenceismoreorlessnecessary，orcanbemoreorlessuseful。
OftheOrderinwhichIndividualsarerecommendedbyNaturetoourcareandattentionEveryman，astheStoicsusedtosay，isfirstandprincipallyrecommendedtohisowncare；andeverymaniscertainly，ineveryrespect，fitterandablertotakecareofhimselfthanofanyotherperson。Everymanfeelshisownpleasuresandhisownpainsmoresensiblythanthoseofotherpeople。Theformeraretheoriginalsensations；thelatterthereflectedorsympatheticimagesofthosesensations。Theformermaybesaidtobethesubstance；thelattertheshadow。
Afterhimself，themembersofhisownfamily，thosewhousuallyliveinthesamehousewithhim，hisparents，hischildren，hisbrothersandsisters，arenaturallytheobjectsofhiswarmestaffections。Theyarenaturallyandusuallythepersonsuponwhosehappinessormiseryhisconductmusthavethegreatestinfluence。Heismorehabituatedtosympathizewiththem。Heknowsbetterhoweverythingislikelytoaffectthem，andhissympathywiththemismorepreciseanddeterminate，thanitcanbewiththegreaterpartofotherpeople。Itapproachesnearer，inshort，towhathefeelsforhimself。