Secondly,Isay,Thatwherevertheconductoftheagentappearstohavebeenentirelydirectedbymotivesandaffectionswhichwethoroughlyenterintoandapproveof,wecanhavenosortofsympathywiththeresentmentofthesufferer,howgreatsoeverthemischiefwhichmayhavebeendonetohim。Whentwopeoplequarrel,ifwetakepartwith,andentirelyadopttheresentmentofoneofthem,itisimpossiblethatweshouldenterintothatoftheother。Oursympathywiththepersonwhosemotiveswegoalongwith,andwhomthereforewelookuponasintheright,cannotbuthardenusagainstallfellow-feelingwiththeother,whomwenecessarilyregardasinthewrong。Whateverthislast,therefore,mayhavesuffered,whileitisnomorethanwhatweourselvesshouldhavewishedhimtosuffer,whileitisnomorethanwhatourownsympatheticindignationwouldhavepromptedustoinflictuponhim,itcannoteitherdispleaseorprovokeus。Whenaninhumanmurdererisbroughttothescaffold,thoughwehavesomecompassionforhismisery,wecanhavenosortoffellow-feelingwithhisresentment,ifheshouldbesoabsurdastoexpressanyagainsteitherhisprosecutororhisjudge。Thenaturaltendencyoftheirjustindignationagainstsovileacriminalisindeedthemostfatalandruinoustohim。Butitisimpossiblethatweshouldbedispleasedwiththetendencyofasentiment,which,whenwebringthecasehometoourselves,wefeelthatwecannotavoidadopting。
Recapitulationoftheforegoingchapters1。Wedonot,therefore,thoroughlyandheartilysympathizewiththegratitudeofonemantowardsanother,merelybecausethisotherhasbeenthecauseofhisgoodfortune,unlesshehasbeenthecauseofitfrommotiveswhichweentirelygoalongwith。Ourheartmustadopttheprinciplesoftheagent,andgoalongwithalltheaffectionswhichinfluencedhisconduct,beforeitcanentirelysympathizewith,andbeattimeto,thegratitudeofthepersonwhohasbeenbenefitedbyhisactions。Ifintheconductofthebenefactorthereappearstohavebeennopropriety,howbeneficialsoeveritseffects,itdoesnotseemtodemand,ornecessarilytorequire,anyproportionablerecompense。
Butwhentothebeneficenttendencyoftheactionisjoinedtheproprietyoftheaffectionfromwhichitproceeds,whenweentirelysympathizeandgoalongwiththemotivesoftheagent,thelovewhichweconceiveforhimuponhisownaccount,enhancesandenlivensourfellow-feelingwiththegratitudeofthosewhoowetheirprosperitytohisgoodconduct。Hisactionsseemthentodemand,and,ifImaysayso,tocallaloudforaproportionablerecompense。Wethenentirelyenterintothatgratitudewhichpromptstobestowit。Thebenefactorseemsthentobetheproperobjectofreward,whenwethusentirelysympathizewith,andapproveof,thatsentimentwhichpromptstorewardhim。Whenweapproveof,andgoalongwith,theaffectionfromwhichtheactionproceeds,wemustnecessarilyapproveoftheaction,andregardthepersontowardswhomitisdirected,asitsproperandsuitableobject。
Inthesamemanner,wecannotatallsympathizewiththeresentmentofonemanagainstanother,merelybecausethisotherhasbeenthecauseofhismisfortune,unlesshehasbeenthecauseofitfrommotiveswhichwecannotenterinto。Beforewecanadopttheresentmentofthesufferer,wemustdisapproveofthemotivesoftheagent,andfeelthatourheartrenouncesallsympathywiththeaffectionswhichinfluencedhisconduct。Ifthereappearstohavebeennoimproprietyinthese,howfatalsoeverthetendencyoftheactionwhichproceedsfromthemtothoseagainstwhomitisdirected,itdoesnotseemtodeserveanypunishment,ortobetheproperobjectofanyresentment。
Butwhentothehurtfulnessoftheactionisjoinedtheimproprietyoftheaffectionfromwhenceitproceeds,whenourheartrejectswithabhorrenceallfellow-feelingwiththemotivesoftheagent,wethenheartilyandentirelysympathizewiththeresentmentofthesufferer。Suchactionsseemthentodeserve,and,ifImaysayso,tocallaloudfor,aproportionablepunishment;andweentirelyenterinto,andtherebyapproveof,thatresentmentwhichpromptstoinflictit。Theoffendernecessarilyseemsthentobetheproperobjectofpunishment,whenwethusentirelysympathizewith,andtherebyapproveof,thatsentimentwhichpromptstopunish。Inthiscasetoo,whenweapprove,andgoalongwith,theaffectionfromwhichtheactionproceeds,wemustnecessarilyapproveoftheaction,andregardthepersonagainstwhomitisdirected,asitsproperandsuitableobject。
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