The Theory of Moral Sentiments · Chapter
Section III: Of the Effects of Prosperity and Adversity Upon the Judgment of Mankind with Regard to the Propriety of Action; and Why It Is More Easy to Obtain Their Approbation in the One State Than in the Other explained
This section examines how prosperity and adversity influence moral judgments, arguing that people are more likely to approve of actions in prosperous circumstances than in adverse ones, due to sympathy with joy and aversion to sorrow.
What happens
This section examines how prosperity and adversity influence moral judgments, arguing that people are more likely to approve of actions in prosperous circumstances than in adverse ones, due to sympathy with joy and aversion to sorrow.
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Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the dramatic climax because it crystallizes the core psychological crisis: the tension betw…
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- Corruption of Moral Sentiments by Wealth and Rank
The chapter explores how prosperity biases moral judgment, making it easier to gain approbation in success than in adversity.
