Essays On, I. Moral Sentiments Quotes

“What renders you incapable of such a rudeness, is nothing but a regard to the general rules of civility and hospitality, which prohibit it. … But if without regard to these general rules, even the duties of politeness, which are so easily observed, and which one can scarce have any serious motive to violate, would yet be so frequently violated, that what would become of the duties of justice, of truth, of chastity, of fidelity, which it is often so difficult to observe, and which there may be so many strong motives to violate? But upon the tolerable observance of these duties, depends the very existence of human society, which would crumble into nothing if mankind were not generally impressed with a reverence for those important rules of conduct.”
― Adam Smith, Essays On, I. Moral Sentiments: Ii. Astronomical Inquiries; Iii. Formation of Languages; Iv. History of Ancient Physics; V. Ancient Logic and ... the External Senses; Ix. English and Ita