Thesameingeniousandagreeableauthorwhofirstexplainedwhyutilitypleases，hasbeensostruckwiththisviewofthings，astoresolveourwholeapprobationofvirtueintoaperceptionofthisspeciesofbeautywhichresultsfromtheappearanceofutility。Noqualitiesofthemind，heobserves，areapprovedofasvirtuous，butsuchasareusefuloragreeableeithertothepersonhimselfortoothers；andnoqualitiesaredisapprovedofasviciousbutsuchashaveacontrarytendency。AndNature，indeed，seemstohavesohappilyadjustedoursentimentsofapprobationanddisapprobation，totheconveniencybothoftheindividualandofthesociety，thatafterthestrictestexaminationitwillbefound，Ibelieve，thatthisisuniversallythecase。ButstillIaffirm，thatitisnottheviewofthisutilityorhurtfulnesswhichiseitherthefirstorprincipalsourceofourapprobationanddisapprobation。Thesesentimentsarenodoubtenhancedandenlivenedbytheperceptionofthebeautyordeformitywhichresultsfromthisutilityorhurtfulness。Butstill，Isay，theyareoriginallyandessentiallydifferentfromthisperception。
Forfirstofall，itseemsimpossiblethattheapprobationofvirtueshouldbeasentimentofthesamekindwiththatbywhichweapproveofaconvenientandwell-contrivedbuilding；orthatweshouldhavenootherreasonforpraisingamanthanthatforwhichwecommendachestofdrawers。
Andsecondly，itwillbefound，uponexamination，thattheusefulnessofanydispositionofmindisseldomthefirstgroundofourapprobation；andthatthesentimentofapprobationalwaysinvolvesinitasenseofproprietyquitedistinctfromtheperceptionofutility。Wemayobservethiswithregardtoallthequalitieswhichareapprovedofasvirtuous，boththosewhich，accordingtothissystem，areoriginallyvaluedasusefultoourselves，aswellasthosewhichareesteemedonaccountoftheirusefulnesstoothers。
Thequalitiesmostusefultoourselvesare，firstofall，superiorreasonandunderstanding，bywhichwearecapableofdiscerningtheremoteconsequencesofallouractions，andofforeseeingtheadvantageordetrimentwhichislikelytoresultfromthem:andsecondly，self-command，bywhichweareenabledtoabstainfrompresentpleasureortoendurepresentpain，inordertoobtainagreaterpleasureortoavoidagreaterpaininsomefuturetime。Intheunionofthosetwoqualitiesconsiststhevirtueofprudence，ofallthevirtuesthatwhichismostusefultotheindividual。
Withregardtothefirstofthosequalities，ithasbeenobservedonaformeroccasion，thatsuperiorreasonandunderstandingareoriginallyapprovedofasjustandrightandaccurate，andnotmerelyasusefuloradvantageous。Itisintheabstrusersciences，particularlyinthehigherpartsofmathematics，thatthegreatestandmostadmiredexertionsofhumanreasonhavebeendisplayed。Buttheutilityofthosesciences，eithertotheindividualortothepublic，isnotveryobvious，andtoproveit，requiresadiscussionwhichisnotalwaysveryeasilycomprehended。Itwasnot，therefore，theirutilitywhichfirstrecommendedthemtothepublicadmiration。