SECT。5 Some Farther Reflections Concerning the Natural Virtues
It has been observed，in treating of the passions，that pride and humility，love and hatred，are excited by any advantages or disadvantages of the mind，body，or fortune；and that these advantages or disadvantages have that effect by producing a separate im-pression of pain or pleasure。The pain or pleasure，which arises from the general survey or view of any action or quality of the mind，constitutes its vice or virtue，and gives rise to our approbation or blame，which is nothing but a fainter and more imperceptible love or hatred。We have assigned four different sources of this pain and pleasure；and in or-der to justify more fully that hypothesis，it may here be proper to observe，that the ad-vantages or disadvantages of the body and of fortune，produce a pain or pleasure from the very same principles。The tendency of any object to be useful to the person posse ssed of it，or to others；to convey pleasure to him or to others；all these circumstances convey an immediate pleasure to the person，who considers the object，and command his love and approbation。
To begin with the advantages of the body；It is a general remark，that those we call good women's men，who have either signalized themselves by their amorous exploits，or whose make of body promises any extraordinary vigour of that kind，are well received by the fair sex，and naturally engage the affections even of those，whose virtue prevents any design of ever giving employment to those talents。Here it is evident，that the ability of such a person to give enjoyment，is the real source of that love and esteem he meets with among the females。
Another source of the pleasure we receive from considering bodily advantages，is their utility to the person himself，who is possessed of them。It is certain，that a consid-erable part of the beauty of men，as well as of other animals，consists in such a confor-mation of members，as we find by experience to be attended with strength and agility，and to capacitate the creature for any action or exercise。Broad shoulders，a lank belly，firm joints，taper legs；all these are beautiful in our species。because they are signs of force and vigour，which being advantages we naturally sympathize with，they convey to the beholder a share of that satisfaction they produce in the possessor。
So far as to the utility，which may attend any quality of the body。As to the imme-diate pleasure，it is certain，that an air of health，as well as of strength and agility，makes a considerable part of beauty；and that a sickly air in another is always disagreea-ble，upon account of that idea of pain and uneasiness，which it conveys to us。
How far the advantages of fortune produce esteem and approbation from the same principles，we may satisfy ourselves by reflecting on our precedent reasoning on that subject。We have observed，that our approbation of those，who are possess d of the ad-vantages of fortune，may be ascribed to three different causes。First，To that immediate pleasure，which a rich man gives us，by the view of the beautiful cloaths，equipage，gardens，or houses，which he possesses。Secondly，To the advantage，which we hope to reap from him by his generosity and liberality。Thirdly，To the pleasure and advantage，which he himself reaps from his possessions，and which produce an agreeable sympathy in us。my hypothesis prefers the third principle to the other two，and ascribing our es-teem of the rich to a sympathy with the pleasure and advantage，which they themselves receive from their possessions。For as even the other two principles cannot operate to a due extent，or account for all the phenomena，without having recourse to a sympathy of one kind or other；it is much more natural to chuse that sympathy，which is immediate and direct，than that which is remote and indirect。To which we may add，that where the riches or power are very great，and render the person considerable and important in the world，the esteem attending them，may，in part，be ascribed to another source，dis-tinct from these three，viz。their interesting the mind by a prospect of the multitude，and importance of their consequences：Though，in order to account for the operation of this principle，we must also have recourse to sympathy；as we have observed in the pre-ceding section。
SECT。6 Conclusion of this Book
Thus upon the whole I am hopeful，that nothing is wanting to an accurate proof of this system of ethics。We are certain，that sympathy is a very powerful principle in hu-man nature。We are also certain，that it has a great influence on our sense of beauty，when we regard external objects，as well as when we judge of morals。We find，that it has force sufficient to give us the strongest sentiments of approbation，when it operates alone，without the concurrence of any other principle；as in the cases of justice，alle-giance，chastity，and good-manners。We may observe，that all the circumstances requi-site for its operation are found in most of the virtues；which have，for the most part，a tendency to the good of society，or to that of the person possessed of them。If we com-pare all these circumstances，we shall not doubt，that sympathy is the chief source of moral distinctions；especially when we reflect，that no objection can be raised against this hypothesis in one case，which will not extend to all cases。Justice is certainly ap-proved of for no other reason，than because it has a tendency to the public good：And the public good is indifferent to us，except so far as sympathy interests us in it。We may presume the like with regard to all the other virtues，which have a like tendency to the public good。They must derive all their merit from our sympathy with those，who reap any advantage from them：As the virtues，which have a tendency to the good of the per-son possessed of them，derive their merit from our sympathy with him。
All lovers of virtue（and such we all are in speculation，however we may degener-ate in practice）must certainly be pleased to see moral distinctions derived from so noble a source，which gives us a just notion both of the generosity and capacity of human na-ture。It requires but very little knowledge of human affairs to perceive，that a sense of morals is a principle inherent in the soul，and one of the most powerful that enters into the composition。
§§第三卷 論道德