"But who, except the most sordidly covetous, ever thought there was
any rivalship between the love of greatness, honour, power, or
between sensual appetites and self-love? No, there is a perfect
harmony between them. It is by means of these particular appetites
and affections that self-love is gratified in enjoyment, happiness,
and satisfaction. The competition and rivalship is between self-
love and the love of our neighbour: that affection which leads us
out of ourselves, makes us regardless of our own interest, and
substitute that of another in its stead." Whether, then, there be
any peculiar competition and contrariety in this case shall now be
considered.

Self-love and interestedness was stated to consist in or be an
affection to ourselves, a regard to our own private good: it is
therefore distinct from benevolence, which is an affection to the
good of our fellow-creatures. But that benevolence is distinct
from, that is, not the same thing with self-love, is no reason for
its being looked upon with any peculiar suspicion; because every
principle whatever, by means of which self-love is gratified, is
distinct from it; and all things which are distinct from each other
are equally so. A man has an affection or aversion to another:
that one of these tends to, and is gratified by, doing good, that
the other tends to, and is gratified by, doing harm, does not in the
least alter the respect which either one or the other of these
inward feelings has to self-love. We use the word PROPERTY so as to
exclude any other persons having an interest in that of which we say
a particular man has the property. And we often use the word
SELFISH so as to exclude in the same manner all regards to the good
of others. But the cases are not parallel: for though that
exclusion is really part of the idea of property; yet such positive