Influence of Fortune on Moral Sentiments Assignment

Here is an assignment given in a course on Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments. It is on the role of Jim’s chance or luck in our estimation of Jim’s merit.

TMS Part II, Section III 92–108 is titled “Of the Influence of Fortune upon the Sentiments of Mankind, with regard to the Merit or Demerit of Actions.”

On pp. 97–104, Smith taxonomically illustrates the supposed irregularity of fortune influencing our judgments of merit and demerit:

i. fortune arresting intended beneficial consequences,

ii. fortune arresting intended hurtful consequences,

iii. fortune giving rise to unintended beneficial consequences,

iv. fortune giving rise to unintended hurtful consequences.

In the taxonomy below there are eight questions. Put your answer into the cell below, following the question, for each of the eight questions.