WRITINGS Of DR. SMITH.

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SECTION II.

Of the Theory of Moral Sentiments, and theDiffertation on the Origin of Languages .

T HE Fcience of Ethics has been divided bymodern writers into two parts; the one compre-hending the theory of Morals, and the other itspractical doctrines. The quellions about whichthe former is employed, are chiefly the two fol-lowing. Firf , By what principle of our confti-tution are we led to form the notion of moraldiftindions ; .—■ whether by that faculty whichperceives the diftindion between truth andfaliliood; or by a peculiar power of perception ,which is pleafeil with one fet of qualities, anddifpleafed with another P Secondly , What is theproper objed of moral approbation; or, in otherwords, What is the common quality or qualitiesbelonging to all the different modes of virtue ? Isit benevolence; or a rational felf-love; or a dif-pofition to ad fuitably to the different relationsin which we are placed ? Thefe two queftionsfeem to exhauft the whole theory of Morals. Thefcope of the one is to afcertain the origin of ourmoral ideas; that of the other, to refer the

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