A Treatise of Human Nature

(Jeff_L) #1

BOOK II PART II


Suppose, that two persons of the same trade
should seek employment in a town, that is not
able to maintain both, it is plain the success of
one is perfectly incompatible with that of the
other, and that whatever is for the interest of
either is contrary to that of his rival, and so
vice versa. Suppose again, that two merchants,
though living in different parts of the world,
should enter into co-partnership together, the
advantage or loss of one becomes immediately
the advantage or loss of his partner, and the
same fortune necessarily attends both. Now it
is evident, that in the first case, hatred always
follows upon the contrariety of interests; as in
the second, love arises from their union. Let us
consider to what principle we can ascribe these
passions.


It is plain they arise not from the double re-
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