sentimentalisme

Sentimentalisme, or sentimentalism, is a historical and scholarly term used to describe a tradition in ethics and literature that grounds moral judgment and aesthetic value in human feelings, especially sympathy and benevolence. It emphasizes the role of emotional responsiveness in guiding conduct and taste, rather than relying solely on abstract rational calculation.

In ethics, sentimentalism is associated with 18th-century thought. Francis Hutcheson argued for a moral sense that reveals moral qualities through benevolent feeling. David Hume maintained that reason alone cannot motivate action and that moral distinctions arise from sentiments of approval or disapproval. Adam Smith developed a theory of sympathy, suggesting that people regulate their behavior through social affections and the imagined stance of an impartial spectator. Collectively, sentimentalists place emotional response at the center of moral evaluation.

In literature, sentimentalism flourished as part of a broader culture of sensibility. 18th‑century novels and plays aimed to provoke pity and compassion and to promote virtue through emotional engagement. Prominent authors include Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, and Laurence Sterne, with works such as Pamela, Tom Jones, and A Sentimental Journey. The movement contributed to debates about virtue, social reform, and education, and it helped shape expectations about emotional expressiveness in public life.

Critics have challenged sentimentalism from various angles. Immanuel Kant and other rationalist thinkers argued that morality rests on universalizable rational principles rather than sentiment alone. In the 20th century, moral philosophy and psychology reevaluated the role of emotion in moral judgment, giving rise to debates in emotivism and moral psychology. Nevertheless, elements of sentimentalism continue to influence discussions of empathy, moral psychology, and the interplay between emotion and ethical reasoning.