Sympathy and Social Influence

Sympathy allows the passions and opinions of others to affect our own, shaping our self-evaluation, reputation, and moral sentiments through social connection.

Hume notes that men consider the sentiments of others in judging themselves, as seen in the shame of diseases that are dangerous or disagreeable to others, indicating social influence on passions.

Hume details the mechanism of sympathy, showing how we receive and internalize the sentiments of others, which is central to understanding the love of fame.

Animals show pride in the approbation of familiar humans, indicating a social dimension to these passions.

Hume discusses how sympathy with others' feelings and situations plays a crucial role in generating love and hatred, and how social comparison influences these passions.