Page:A discourse upon the origin and foundation of the inequality among mankind (IA discourseuponori00rous).pdf/317

 every Animal to look to his own Preervation, and which, guided in Man by Reaon and qualified by Pity, is productive of Humanity and Virtue. Selfihnes is but a relative and factitious Sentiment, engendered in the Boom of Society, which inclines every Individual to et a greater Value upon himelf than upon any other Man, which inpires Men with all the Michief they do to each other, and is the true Source of what we call Honour.

This Poition well undertood, I ay that Selfihnes does not exit in our primitive State, in the true State of Nature; for every Man in particular conidering himelf as the only Spectator who oberves him, as the only Being in the Univere which takes any Interet in him, as the only Judge of his own Merit, it is impoible that a Sentiment ariing from Comparions, which he is not in a Condition to make, hould pring up in his Mind. For the ame Reaon, a Man of this kind mut be a Stranger to Hatred and Spite, Paions, which the Opinion of our having received ome Affront can alone excite; and as it is Contempt or an Intention to injure, and not the Injury itelf that contitutes an Affront, Men who