The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Theory of Moral Sentiments, The,a philosophical work by Adam Smith , published 1759 , and originally delivered in the form of lectures at Glasgow.
The author advances the view that all moral sentiments arise from sympathy, the principle which gives rise to our notions of the merit or demerit of the agent. The basis of morality is pleasure in mutual sympathy, which moderates our natural egocentricity. The desire for such pleasure requires us to see ourselves ‘in the light in which others see us’, a thought quoted admiringly by Burns (‘To a Louse’):
O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie usSmith's account of the role of the imagination in the operation of sympathy influenced Sterne , in A Sentimental Journey , and other contemporary writers.
To see oursels as others see us.
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