Thisistheexplanationofthemoralphenomenonofself-deceit，andaccountsfortheotherwiseremarkablefact，thatourconscienceinspiteofitsgreatauthorityandthegreatsanctionsbywhichitsvoiceisenforced，issooftenpreventedfromactingwithefficacy。Whenweareabouttoact，theeagernessofpassionseldomallowsustoconsiderwhatwearedoingwiththecandourofanindifferentperson。Ourviewofthingsisdiscoloured，evenwhenwetrytoplaceourselvesinthesituationofanotherandtoregardourowninterestsfromhispointofview。Weareconstantlyforcedbackbythefuryofourpassionstoourownposition，whereeverythingseemsmagnifiedandmisrepresentedbyself-love，whilstwecatchbutmomentaryglimpsesoftheviewoftheimpartialspectator。
Whenwehaveacted，wecanindeedentermorecoollyintothesentimentsoftheindifferentspectator，andregardourownactionswithhisimpartiality。
Wearethenabletoidentifyourselveswiththeidealmanwithinthebreastandviewinourowncharacterourownconductandsituationwiththesevereeyesofthemostimpartialspectator。Butevenourjudgmentisseldomquitecandid。Itissodisagreeabletothinkillofourselves，thatweoftenpurposelyturnawayourviewfromthosecircumstanceswhichmightrenderourjudgmentunfavourable。Ratherthanseeourownbehaviourinadisagreeablelight，weoftenendeavourtoexasperateanewthoseunjustpassionswhichatfirstmisledus；weawakenartificiallyouroldhatredsandirritateafreshouralmostforgottenresentments；andwethuspersevereininjusticemerelybecausewewereunjust，andbecauseweareashamedandafraidtoseethatwewereso。
Andthispartialityofmankindwithregardtotheproprietyoftheirownconduct，bothatthetimeofactionandafterit，is，ourauthorthinks，oneofthechiefobjectionstothehypothesisoftheexistenceofamoralsense，andconsequentlyanadditionalargumentinfavourofhisowntheoryofthephenomenaofself-approbation。Ifitwasbyapeculiarfaculty，likethemoralsense，thatmenjudgedoftheirownconductiftheywereendowedwithaparticularpowerofperceptionwhichdistinguishedthebeautyanddeformityofpassionsandaffectionssurelythisfacultywouldjudgewithmoreaccuracyconcerningtheirownpassions，whicharemorenearlyexposedtotheirview，thanconcerningthoseofothermen，whicharenecessarilyofmoredistantobservation。Butitisnotoriousthatmengenerallyjudgemorejustlyofothersthantheyeverdoaboutthemselves。
CHAPTERVII。THEORYOFMORALPRINCIPLES。