An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1013 words)
f the proper objects of gratitude and resentment.
To be the proper and approved object either of
gratitude or resentment, can mean nothing but to
be the object of that gratitude, and of that resentment,
which naturally seems proper, and is approved
of.
But these, as well as all the other passions of human
nature, seem proper and are approved of, when
the heart of every impartial spectator entirely sympathizes
with them, when every indifferent by-stander
entirely enters into, and goes along with
them.
He, therefore, appears to deserve reward, who,
to some person or persons, is the natural object of
a gratitude which every human heart is disposed to
beat time to, and thereby applaud: and he, on the
other hand, appears to deserve punishment, who
in the same manner is to some person or persons the
natural object of a resentment which the breast of
every reasonable man is ready to adopt and sympathize
with. To us, surely, that action must appear
to deserve reward, which every body who
knows of it would wish to reward, and therefore
103delights to see rewarded: and that action must as
surely appear to deserve punishment, which every
body who hears of it is angry with, and upon that
account rejoices to see punished.
1. As we sympathize with the joy of our companions
when in prosperity, so we join with them in the
complacency and satisfaction with which they naturally
regard whatever is the cause of their good fortune.
We enter into the love and affection which
they conceive for it, and begin to love it too. We
should be sorry for their sakes if it was destroyed, or
even if it was placed at too great a distance from
them, and out of the reach of their care and protection,
though they should lose nothing by its absence
except the pleasure of seeing it. If it is man who
has thus been the fortunate instrument of the happiness
of his brethren, this is still more peculiarly the
case. When we see one man assisted, protected, relieved
by another, our sympathy with the joy of the
person who receives the benefit serves only to animate
our fellow-feeling with his gratitude towards him
who bestows it. When we look upon the person
who is the cause of his pleasure with the eyes with
which we imagine he must look upon him, his benefactor
seems to stand before us in the most engaging
and amiable light. We readily therefore sympathize
with the grateful affection which he conceives for
a person to whom he has been so much obliged; and
consequently applaud the returns which he is disposed
to make for the good offices conferred upon him.
As we entirely enter into the affection from which
these returns proceed, they necessarily seem every
way proper and suitable to their object.
1042. In the same manner, as we sympathize with
the sorrow of our fellow-creature whenever we see
his distress, so we likewise enter into his abhorrence
and aversion for whatever has given occasion to it.
Our heart, as it adopts and beats time to his grief, so
is it likewise animated with that spirit by which he
endeavours to drive away or destroy the cause of it.
The indolent and passive fellow-feeling, by which we
accompany him in his sufferings, readily gives way
to that more vigorous and active sentiment by which
we go along with him in the effort he makes, either
to repel them, or to gratify his aversion to what has
given occasion to them. This is still more peculiarly
the case, when it is man who has caused them.
When we see one man oppressed or injured by another,
the sympathy which we feel with the distress
of the sufferer seems to serve only to animate our
fellow-feeling with his resentment against the offender.
We are rejoiced to see him attack his adversary
in his turn, and are eager and ready to assist him
whenever he exerts himself for defence, or even for
vengeance within a certain degree. If the injured
should perish in the quarrel, we not only sympathize
with the real resentment of his friends and relations,
but with the imaginary resentment which in fancy
we lend to the dead, who is no longer capable of
feeling that or any other human sentiment. But as
we put ourselves in his situation, as we enter, as it
were, into his body, and in our imaginations, in some
measure, animate anew the deformed and mangled
carcass of the slain, when we bring home in this manner
his case to our own bosoms, we feel upon this, as
upon many other occasions, an emotion which the
105person principally concerned is incapable of feeling,
and which yet we feel by an illusive sympathy with
him. The sympathetic tears which we shed for
that immense and irretrievable loss, which in our
fancy he appears to have sustained, seem to be but a
small part of the duty which we owe him. The injury
which he has suffered demands, we think, a
principal part of our attention. We feel that resentment
which we imagine he ought to feel, and which
he would feel, if in his cold and lifeless body there
remained any consciousness of what passes upon
earth. His blood, we think, calls aloud for vengeance.
The very ashes of the dead seem to be
disturbed at the thought that his injuries are to pass
unrevenged. The horrors which are supposed to
haunt the bed of the murderer, the ghosts which,
superstition imagines, rise from their graves to demand
vengeance upon those who brought them to
an untimely end, all take their origin from this natural
sympathy with the imaginary resentment of
the slain. And with regard, at least, to this most
dreadful of all crimes, Nature, antecedent to all reflections
upon the utility of punishment, has in this
manner stamped upon the human heart, in the
strongest and most indelible characters, an immediate
and instinctive approbation of the sacred and
necessary law of retaliation.
106
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Communities create moral weight through collective emotional responses to witnessed actions, not just individual reactions or written rules.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between personal grievances and genuine moral violations by recognizing when multiple observers share the same emotional response.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you witness unfairness and check if others react the same way—their shared discomfort signals real moral weight, not just your personal feelings.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"He, therefore, appears to deserve reward, who, to some person or persons, is the natural object of a gratitude which every human heart is disposed to beat time to, and thereby applaud"
Context: Smith is explaining what makes someone truly deserve a reward
This shows that desert isn't about following rules but about creating emotions that everyone shares. When someone helps another, we all feel grateful and want to reward them. The phrase 'beat time to' suggests our hearts naturally sync up with these moral emotions.
In Today's Words:
Someone deserves a reward when their good deed makes everyone feel grateful and want to celebrate them.
"We enter into the satisfaction of the person who confers the benefit, and heartily and readily go along with his joy and exultation"
Context: Describing how we share in the happiness of someone who helps others
This captures how good deeds create a ripple effect of positive emotions. We don't just approve of helping others - we actually feel happy alongside the helper. This shared joy is what motivates communities to reward good behavior.
In Today's Words:
When someone does good, we feel genuinely happy for them and want to celebrate their success.
"The dead victim is sensible of no injury, nor is he any longer capable of feeling that resentment which the injury calls forth"
Context: Explaining why we feel anger on behalf of murder victims
This profound observation shows how sympathy extends beyond the living. When someone can no longer feel their own resentment, we must feel it for them. This is why cold cases still make us angry and why justice matters even when victims can't benefit.
In Today's Words:
Dead people can't be angry anymore, so we have to be angry for them.
Thematic Threads
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Society naturally develops shared standards for what deserves reward or punishment through collective emotional responses
Development
Building on earlier themes about social approval, now showing how moral communities form
In Your Life:
You'll find your strongest allies are people who witnessed the same unfairness you experienced.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Our ability to feel others' emotions creates bonds that extend beyond personal connections to moral communities
Development
Expanding from individual sympathy to show how emotional sharing creates group solidarity
In Your Life:
When you help someone, you're not just helping them—you're building goodwill with everyone watching.
Identity
In This Chapter
We define ourselves partly through our shared emotional responses to moral situations we witness
Development
Moving from personal identity to collective moral identity formation
In Your Life:
The causes that make you angry reveal who you are and who your people are.
Class
In This Chapter
Different social groups may have different shared emotional responses to the same actions, creating class-based moral divisions
Development
Introduced here as extension of earlier class themes
In Your Life:
What feels unfair to you might seem normal to people from different backgrounds, and vice versa.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
According to Smith, what makes us want to reward someone who helps another person, even when we weren't the one being helped?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Smith think our emotional reactions to witnessing kindness or cruelty are more important than written rules for determining what's truly fair?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about a time you witnessed unfairness at work, school, or in your community. How did other people react, and did their reactions match yours?
application • medium - 4
When you're trying to get support for something you think is unfair, how could you use Smith's insight about shared emotions to build allies?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter suggest about why some injustices go viral on social media while others are ignored?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Emotional Witnesses
Think of a recent situation where you felt someone was treated unfairly (at work, in your family, or in your community). Write down who else witnessed this situation and what their reactions were. Then identify who felt the same way you did and who seemed indifferent or disagreed. Finally, consider what this pattern tells you about building support for fairness in that environment.
Consider:
- •Notice who naturally shares your sense of justice versus who dismisses it
- •Consider whether the witnesses had any personal stake in the outcome
- •Think about how the shared emotional response could translate into action
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you witnessed an injustice but stayed silent. What would you do differently now, knowing that others likely shared your feelings?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 16: When Sympathy Breaks Down
But what happens when we don't approve of someone's motives, even if they help others? Smith will explore how our judgment of the giver affects our sympathy with the receiver, revealing the complex dance between intention and gratitude.
