《道德情操论·卷二·论功劳与过失·三之二·论这种影响的限度》第1节
THE effect of this influence of fortune is, first, to diminish our sense of the merit or demerit of those actions which arose from the most laudable or blamable intentions, when they fail of producing their proposed effects: and, secondly, to increase our sense of the merit or demerit of {89} actions, beyond what is due to the motives or affections from which they proceed, when they accidentally give occasion either to extraordinary pleasure or pain.
注释摘要
斯密在这段开篇便提出了运气的两种不对称影响，这是他本节论证的总纲。第一种影响是，当行为出自最值得称赞或最应受谴责的意图，却未能产生预期效果时，我们对这行为的功过感会减弱。第二种影响正好相反：如果行为意外带来了格外的快乐或痛苦，我们对它的功过评判便会超出动机本身所应得的程度。这两种情况，指向的是同一个心理机制——我们判断一个行为的道德分量时，无法将意图从结果…