8o HIS TORT of the SOCIETT. 



DrSaaSh* much more coolly than before, yet it is €o difagreeable to 

 us to think ill of ourfelves, that we often purpofely turn away 

 our view from thofe circumftances which might render 'our 

 judgment unfavourable. — Hence that felf-deceit which is the 

 fource of half the diforders of human life. 



In order to guard ourfelves againft its delufions, nature leads 

 us to form infenfibly, by our continual obfervations upon the 

 conduct of others, certain general rules concerning what is fit 

 and proper either to be done or avoided. Some of their actions 

 fhock all our natural fentiments^ and when we obferve other 

 people affected in the fame manner with ourfelves, we are con- 

 firmed in the belief, that our difapprobation was juft. We na- 

 turally therefore lay it down as a general rule, that all fuch ac- 

 tions are to be avoided, as tending to render us odious, con- 

 temptible or punifhable ; and we endeavour, by habitual re- 

 flection, to fix this general rule in our minds, in order to cor- 

 rect the mifreprefentations of felf-love, if we mould ever be 

 called on to act in fimilar circumftances. The man of furious 

 refentment, if he was to liften to the dictates of that pafhon, 

 would perhaps regard the death of his enemy as but a fmall 

 compenfation for a trifling wrong. But his obfervations on 



f. the conduct of others have taught him how horrible fuch fan- 



guinary revenges are ; and he has imprefled it on his mind as 

 an invariable rule, to abftain from them upon all occalions. 

 This rule preferves its authority with him, checks the impetuo- 

 fityofhis paflion, and corrects the partial views which felf- 

 love fuggefts ; although, if this had been the firft time in which 

 lie confidered fuch an action, he would undoubtedly have de- 

 termined it to be juft and proper, and what every impartial 

 Spectator would approve of. — A regard to fuch general rules of 

 morality conftitutes, according to Mr Smith, what is properly 

 called the Jenfe of duty, 



I before hinted, that Mr Smith does not reject entirely 



from his fyftem that principle of utility , of which the percept 



i tion 



