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。
　　Thissympathytoo，andtheaffectionswhicharefoundedonit，arebynaturemorestronglydirectedtowardshischildrenthantowardshisparents，andhistendernessfortheformerseemsgenerallyamoreactiveprinciple，thanhisreverenceandgratitudetowardsthelatter。Inthenaturalstateofthings，ithasalreadybeenobserved，theexistenceofthechild，forsometimeafteritcomesintotheworld，dependsaltogetheruponthecareoftheparent；thatoftheparentdoesnotnaturallydependuponthecareofthechild。Intheeyeofnature，itwouldseem，achildisamoreimportantobjectthananoldman；andexcitesamuchmorelively，aswellasamuchmoreuniversalsympathy。Itoughttodoso。Everythingmaybeexpected，oratleasthoped，fromthechild。Inordinarycases，verylittlecanbeeitherexpectedorhopedfromtheoldman。Theweaknessofchildhoodintereststheaffectionsofthemostbrutalandhard-hearted。Itisonlytothevirtuousandhumane，thattheinfirmitiesofoldagearenottheobjectsofcontemptandaversion。Inordinarycases，anoldmandieswithoutbeingmuchregrettedbyanybody。
　　Scarceachildcandiewithoutrendingasundertheheartofsomebody。
　　Theearliestfriendships，thefriendshipswhicharenaturallycontractedwhentheheartismostsusceptibleofthatfeeling，arethoseamongbrothersandsisters。Theirgoodagreement，whiletheyremaininthesamefamily，isnecessaryforitstranquillityandhappiness。Theyarecapableofgivingmorepleasureorpaintooneanotherthantothegreaterpartofotherpeople。Theirsituationrenderstheirmutualsympathyoftheutmostimportancetotheircommonhappiness；and，bythewisdomofnature，thesamesituation，byobligingthemtoaccommodatetooneanother，rendersthatsympathymorehabitual，andtherebymorelively，moredistinct，andmoredeterminate。
　　Thechildrenofbrothersandsistersarenaturallyconnectedbythefriendshipwhich，afterseparatingintodifferentfamilies，continuestotakeplacebetweentheirparents。Theirgoodagreementimprovestheenjoymentofthatfriendship；theirdiscordwoulddisturbit。Astheyseldomliveinthesamefamily，however，thoughofmoreimportancetooneanother，thantothegreaterpartofotherpeople，theyareofmuchlessthanbrothersandsisters。Astheirmutualsympathyislessnecessary，soitislesshabitual，andthereforeproportionablyweaker。
　　Thechildrenofcousins，beingstilllessconnected，areofstilllessimportancetooneanother；andtheaffectiongraduallydiminishesastherelationgrowsmoreandmoreremote。
　　Whatiscalledaffection，isinrealitynothingbuthabitualsympathy。Ourconcerninthehappinessormiseryofthosewhoaretheobjectsofwhatwecallouraffections；ourdesiretopromotetheone，andtopreventtheother；areeithertheactualfeelingofthathabitualsympathy，orthenecessaryconsequencesofthatfeeling。Relationsbeingusuallyplacedinsituationswhichnaturallycreatethishabitualsympathy，itisexpectedthatasuitabledegreeofaffectionshouldtakeplaceamongthem。Wegenerallyfindthatitactuallydoestakeplace；wethereforenaturallyexpectthatitshould；andweare，uponthataccount，moreshockedwhen，uponanyoccasion，wefindthatitdoesnot。
　　Thegeneralruleisestablished，thatpersonsrelatedtooneanotherinacertaindegree，oughtalwaystobeaffectedtowardsoneanotherinacertainmanner，andthatthereisalwaysthehighestimpropriety，andsometimesevenasortofimpiety，intheirbeingaffectedinadifferentmanner。Aparentwithoutparentaltenderness，achilddevoidofallfilialreverence，appearmonsters，theobjects，notofhatredonly，butofhorror。
　　Thoughinaparticularinstance，thecircumstanceswhichusuallyproducethosenaturalaffections，astheyarecalled，may，bysomeaccident，nothavetakenplace，yetrespectforthegeneralrulewillfrequently，insomemeasure，supplytheirplace，andproducesomethingwhich，thoughnotaltogetherthesame，maybear，however，averyconsiderableresemblancetothoseaffections。Afatherisapttobelessattachedtoachild，who，bysomeaccident，hasbeenseparatedfromhiminitsinfancy，andwhodoesnotreturntohimtillitisgrownuptomanhood。Thefatherisapttofeellesspaternaltendernessforthechild；thechild，lessfilialreverenceforthefather。Brothersandsisters，whentheyhavebeeneducatedindistantcountries，areapttofeelasimilardiminutionofaffection。Withthedutifulandthevirtuous，however，respectforthegeneralrulewillfrequentlyproducesomethingwhich，thoughbynomeansthesame，yetmayverymuchresemblethosenaturalaffections。Evenduringtheseparation，thefatherandthechild，thebrothersorthesisters，arebynomeansindifferenttooneanother。Theyallconsideroneanotheraspersonstoandfromwhomcertainaffectionsaredue，andtheyliveinthehopesofbeingsometimeoranotherinasituationtoenjoythatfriendshipwhichoughtnaturallytohavetakenplaceamongpersonssonearlyconnected。
　　Tilltheymeet，theabsentson，theabsentbrother，arefrequentlythefavouriteson，thefavouritebrother。Theyhaveneveroffended，or，iftheyhave，itissolongago，thattheoffenceisforgotten，assomechildishtricknotworththeremembering。Everyaccounttheyhaveheardofoneanother，ifconveyedbypeopleofanytolerablegoodnature，hasbeen，inthehighestdegree，flatteringandfavourable。Theabsentson，theabsentbrother，isnotlikeotherordinarysonsandbrothers；butanall-perfectson，anall-perfectbrother；andthemostromantichopesareentertainedofthehappinesstobeenjoyedinthefriendshipandconversationofsuchpersons。Whentheymeet，itisoftenwithsostrongadispositiontoconceivethathabitualsympathywhichconstitutesthefamilyaffection，thattheyareveryapttofancytheyhaveactuallyconceivedit，andtobehavetooneanotherasiftheyhad。Timeandexperience，however，Iamafraid，toofrequentlyundeceivethem。Uponamorefamiliaracquaintance，theyfrequentlydiscoverinoneanotherhabits，humours，andinclinations，differentfromwhattheyexpected，towhich，fromwantofhabitualsympathy，fromwantoftherealprincipleandfoundationofwhatisproperlycalledfamily-affection，theycannotnoweasilyaccommodatethemselves。
　　Theyhaveneverlivedinthesituationwhichalmostnecessarilyforcesthateasyaccommodation，andthoughtheymaynowbesincerelydesiroustoassumeit，theyhavereallybecomeincapableofdoingso。Theirfamiliarconversationandintercoursesoonbecomelesspleasingtothem，and，uponthataccount，lessfrequent。Theymaycontinuetolivewithoneanotherinthemutualexchangeofallessentialgoodoffices，andwitheveryotherexternalappearanceofdecentregard。Butthatcordialsatisfaction，thatdelicioussympathy，thatconfidentialopennessandease，whichnaturallytakeplaceintheconversationofthosewhohavelivedlongandfamiliarlywithoneanother，itseldomhappensthattheycancompletelyenjoy。
　　Itisonly，however，withthedutifulandthevirtuous，thatthegeneralrulehaseventhisslenderauthority。Withthedissipated，theprofligate，andthevain，itisentirelydisregarded。Theyaresofarfromrespectingit，thattheyseldomtalkofitbutwiththemostindecentderision。andanearlyandlongseparationofthiskindneverfailstoestrangethemmostcompletelyfromoneanother。Withsuchpersons，respectforthegeneralrulecanatbestproduceonlyacoldandaffectedcivilityaveryslendersemblanceofrealregard；andeventhis，theslightestoffence，thesmallestoppositionofinterest，commonlyputsanendtoaltogether。