Adam Smith, a leading member of the late eighteenth century movement known as the Scottish Enlightenment (a period of intellectual questioning in which a Scottish humanism developed), is best known for An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776; commonly known as The Wealth of Nations), which more than any other work created the modern intellectual discipline of economics. In the study guide, several references are provided to... eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. It identifies the basic rules of prudence and justice that are needed for society to survive, and explains the additional, beneficent, actions that enable it to flourish. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Smith’s analysis thus covers both the “inner-directed” and “other-directed” personalities made famous by sociologist David Riesman (The Lonely Crowd: A Study of the Changing American Character, 1950). These views are personified in an “impartial spectator,” an imaginary judge who watches and evaluates what we think and do—essentially our conscience. © 2020 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He did not try to analyze the concepts of right and wrong formed by people raised in dysfunctional households or the kind of people depicted by Smith’s contemporary, artist William Hogarth, in his scathing illustrations of lowlife in London’s slums. Learn more. Although Smith was apparently a Presbyterian, The Theory of Moral Sentiments does not contain many overtly Christian points of reference. Much earlier, in 1759, however, Smith published another work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, while he was a professor of moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow; he produced a revised edition of this work in 1790, well after publishing The Wealth of Nations. He presents justice as being different from other virtues in that it is the only one that is susceptible to enforcement, and the only rule of virtue people can be punished for breaking. Emphasis in The Theory of Moral Sentiments is, rather, very much on moral sentiments—that is, people’s attitudes and feelings about right and wrong. Emphasis in The Theory of Moral Sentiments is, rather, very much on moral sentiments—that is, people’s attitudes and feelings about right and wrong. In The Theory of Moral Sentiments Smith suggests that by having experiences of moral and immoral actions people develop a moral code of principles. Got it! The Theory of Moral Sentiments is a 1759 book by Adam Smith. Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Smith’s emphasis is congruent with modern psychology and sociology. It argues that this social psychology is a better guide to moral action than is reason. Each of us is conditioned (“socialized,” in modern discourse) by the family environment of childhood and by peer groups to accept attitudes about right and wrong. Smith drew examples largely from his own social circle. The Theory Of Moral Sentiments was a real scientific breakthrough. Most of the subsequent study of Smith’s work has been conducted by economists. This site provides a study guide for Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments, however, your specific question is one that would require research. Smith inherited from the ancient Greek Stoic philosophers the idea that social affairs manifest the workings of natural laws that produce beneficial and harmonious results, even when people’s motives are less than virtuous. In fact, both books give much attention to the unintended consequences of actions, with The Theory of Moral Sentiments giving much more praise to good intentions. Smith was confident that, as societies evolved over time,... Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this The Theory of Moral Sentiments study guide and get instant access to the following: You'll also get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and 300,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Smith did not take the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, or other obvious biblical references as his basis for discussion. (Literary Essentials: Christian Fiction and Nonfiction). Smith, however, acknowledges that each of us is also concerned about the way our friends and associates judge us. Smith is also confident that each individual is inclined to feel “sympathy” for others, which he defined as the capacity to identify with other people’s thoughts and feelings. Some have suggested inconsistency between The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations, with the former giving much more attention to the sources of virtues such as benevolence, while the latter allegedly praises self-interest. It provided the ethical, philosophical, psychological, and methodological underpinnings to Smith's later works, including The Wealth of Nations (1776), Essays on Philosophical Subjects (1795), and Lectures on Justice, Police, Revenue, and Arms (1763) (first published in 1896). It shows that our moral ideas and actions are a product of our very nature as social creatures. The Theory of Moral Sentiments Summary Effectively laying the groundwork for his later work in economics, Smith in The Theory of Moral Sentiments sets forth a theory of how we come to be moral, of how this morality functions on both individual and societal levels, and of what forces are likely to corrupt our sense of morality.

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