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.A wise man may frequently neglect praise, even when he has bestdeserved it; but, in all matters of serious consequence, he will most carefullyendeavour so to regulate his conduct as to avoid, not only blame-worthiness, but,as much as possible, every probable imputation of blame.He will never, indeed,avoid blame by doing any thing which he judges blame-worthy; by omitting anypart of his duty, or by neglecting any opportunity of doing any thing which hejudges to be really and greatly praise-worthy.But, with these modifications, hewill most anxiously and carefully avoid it.To show much anxiety about praise,even for praise-worthy actions, is seldom a mark of great wisdom, but generallyof some degree of weakness.But, in being anxious to avoid the shadow of blameor reproach, there may be no weakness, but frequently the most praise-worthyprudence.III.2 114The Theory of Moral Sentiments Adam Smith Many people, says Cicero,  despise glory, who are yet most severely morti-30fied by unjust reproach; and that most inconsistently. This inconsistency, how-ever, seems to be founded in the unalterable principles of human nature.The all-wise Author of Nature has, in this manner, taught man to respect the31sentiments and judgments of his brethren; to be more or less pleased when theyapprove of his conduct, and to be more or less hurt when they disapprove of it.He has made man, if I may say so, the immediate judge of mankind; and has, inthis respect, as in many others, created him after his own image, and appointedhim his vicegerent upon earth, to superintend the behaviour of his brethren.Theyare taught by nature, to acknowledge that power and jurisdiction which has thusbeen conferred upon him, to be more or less humbled and mortified when theyhave incurred his censure, and to be more or less elated when they have obtainedhis applause.But though man has, in this manner, been rendered the immediate judge of32mankind, he has been rendered so only in the first instance; and an appeal lies fromhis sentence to a much higher tribunal, to the tribunal of their own consciences,to that of the supposed impartial and well-informed spectator, to that of the manwithin the breast, the great judge and arbiter of their conduct.The jurisdictions ofthose two tribunals are founded upon principles which, though in some respectsresembling and akin, are, however, in reality different and distinct.The jurisdic-tion of the man without, is founded altogether in the desire of actual praise, and inthe aversion to actual blame.The jurisdiction of the man within, is founded alto-gether in the desire of praise-worthiness, and in the aversion to blame-worthiness;in the desire of possessing those qualities, and performing those actions, which welove and admire in other people; and in the dread of possessing those qualities, andperforming those actions, which we hate and despise in other people.If the manwithout should applaud us, either for actions which we have not performed, or formotives which had no influence upon us; the man within can immediately hum-ble that pride and elevation of mind which such groundless acclamations mightotherwise occasion, by telling us, that as we know that we do not deserve them,we render ourselves despicable by accepting them.If, on the contrary, the manwithout should reproach us, either for actions which we never performed, or formotives which had no influence upon those which we may have performed; theman within may immediately correct this false judgment, and assure us, that weare by no means the proper objects of that censure which has so unjustly beenbestowed upon us.But in this and in some other cases, the man within seemssometimes, as it were, astonished and confounded by the vehemence and clamourof the man without.The violence and loudness, with which blame is sometimesIII [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]