Adam Smith: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy)

Content Summary: Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments outlines his belief that our morality comes from our natural sentiments and our sense, not only of self-love, but also of the need of the approval and affection of others. Morality comes, in short, from our emotional need of approval, in tandem with the "Impartial Spectator", a kind of voice of conscience and reason that evaluates our conduct in comparison and contrast with that of our peers. Morality must be rooted primarily in sentiment and in reason for Smith. While human beings have a self-centered capacity, this is not exclusive in its orientation, as our need for other's approval and support forces us to constantly consult our feelings and our "impartial spectators" within our breast. Belief in God or Providence, for Smith, will undoubtedly help in this endeavor. Analytical Review: Those who think Smith emphasized the Invisible Hand in his works should read this book as a corrective. Smith mentions the "Invisible Hand" just 3 times in all his writings. The "Impartial Spectator', I would guess, is mentioned well over a 100 times in this work, and plays a pervasive part throughout Smith's work. Humans are not inherently self-interested. Although we have a strong capacity to be self-interested, the Impartial Spectator in our mind always watches over our shoulder and that of our social peers, adjusting our conduct. Smith places a high emphasis on Stoic virtues such as self-command (control), and while he does approve of social rank an order and is a conservative here, he also indicates some clear sense of responsibility and giving back to society. I find aspects of Smith's theory compelling, but parts of his book also overwritten. Amidst some large tracks of tediously written text, however, are a few gems of wisdom for the ages. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Introduction 9 The nature of Smith’s moral theory 9 The theory of the mind 14 Morality 18 The life of a moral philosopher 23 Chronology 27 Further reading 29 Note on the text 31 Abbreviations 33 The Theory of Moral Sentiments 35 Advertisment 37 Contents 2 39 Part I Of the propriety of action 45 Section I Of the sense of propriety 45 Chapter I Of sympathy 45 Chapter II Of the pleasure of mutual sympathy 51 Chapter III Of the manner in which we judge of the propriety or impropriety of the affections of other men, by their concord... 54 Chapter IV The same subject continued 57 Chapter V Of the amiable and respectable virtues 63 Section II Of the degrees of the different passions which are consistent with propriety 66 Introduction 66 Chapter I Of the passions which take their origin from the body 67 Chapter II Of those passions which take their origin from a particular turn or habit of the imagination 72 Chapter III Of the unsocial passions 75 Chapter IV Of the social passions 81 Chapter V Of the selfish passions 83 Section III Of the effects of prosperity and adversity upon the judgment of mankind with regard to the propriety of action;... 87 Chapter I That though our sympathy with sorrow is generally a more lively sensation than our sympathy with joy, it commonly... 87 Chapter II Of the origin of ambition, and of the distinction of ranks 94 Chapter III Of the corruption of our moral sentiments, which is occasioned by this disposition to admire the rich and the... 106 Part II Of merit and demerit; or, of the objects of reward and punishment 112 Section I Of the sense of merit and demerit 112 Introduction 112 Chapter I That whatever appears to be the proper object of gratitude, appears to deserve reward; and that, in the same... 113 Chapter II Of the proper objects of gratitude and resentment 115 Chapter III That where there is no approbation of the conduct of the person who confers the benefit, there is little... 117 Chapter IV Recapitulation of the foregoing chapters 119 Chapter V The analysis of the sense of merit and demerit 120 Section II Of justice and beneficence 125 Chapter I Comparison of those two virtues 125 Chapter II Of the sense of justice, of remorse, and of the consciousness of merit 130 Chapter III Of the utility of this constitution of Nature 134 Section III Of the influence of fortune upon the sentiments of mankind, with regard to the merit or demerit of actions 142 Introduction 142 Chapter I Of the causes of this influence of fortune 144 Chapter II Of the extent of this influence of fortune 148 Chapter III Of the final cause of this irregularity of sentiments 157 Part III Of the foundation of our judgments concerning our own sentiments and conduct, and of the sense of duty 162 Chapter I Of the principle of self-approbation and of self-disapprobation 162 Chapter II Of the love of praise, and of that of praise-worthiness; and of the dread of blame, and of that of blame-worthines 166 Chapter III Of the influence and authority of conscience 189 Chapter IV Of the nature of self-deceit, and of the origin and use of general rules 216 Chapter V Of the influence and authority of the general rules of morality, and that they are justly regarded as the laws of... 222 Part IV Of the effect of utility upon the sentiment of approbation 243 Chapter I Of the beauty which the appearance of utility bestows upon all the productions of art, and of the extensive... 243 Chapter II Of the beauty which the appearance of utility bestows upon the characters and actions of men; and how far the... 252 Part V Of the influence of custom and fashion upon the sentiments of moral approbation and disapprobation 261 Chapter I Of the influence of custom and fashion upon our notions of beauty and deformity 261 Chapter II Of the influence of custom and fashion upon moral sentiments 268 Part VI Of the character of virtue 282 Introduction 282 Section I Of the character of the individual, so far as it affects his own happiness; or of prudence 282 Section II Of the character of the individual, so far as it can affect the happiness of other people 289 Introduction 289 Chapter I Of the order in which individuals are recommended by nature to our care and attention 290 Chapter II Of the order in which societies are by nature recommended to our beneficence 301 Chapter III Of universal benevolence 310 Section III Of self-command 313 Conclusion of the Sixth Part 343 Part VII Of systems of moral philosophy 347 Section I Of the questions which ought to be examined in a theory of moral sentiments 347 Section II Of the different accounts which have been given of the nature of virtue 348 Introduction 348 Chapter I Of those systems which make virtue consist in propriety 349 Chapter II Of those systems which make virtue consist in prudence 381 Chapter III Of those systems which make virtue consist in benevolence 388 Chapter IV Of licentious systems 395 Section III Of the different systems which have been formed concerning the principle of approbation 405 Introduction 405 Chapter I Of those systems which deduce the principle of approbation from self-love 406 Chapter II Of those systems which make reason the principle of approbation 409 Chapter III Of those systems which make sentiment the principle of approbation 413 Section IV Of the manner in which different authors have treated of the practical rules of morality 420 Index 439 The Theory of Moral Sentiments, written by Adam Smith in 1759, was one of the most important works in the theory of capitalism. It provided the ethical, philosophical, psychological and methodological underpinnings to Smith's later works, including The Wealth of Nations (1776) — Excerpted from The Theory of Moral Sentiments on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. {From Wikipedia : Adam Smith http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith} In 1759, Smith published his first work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. He continued making extensive revisions to the book, up until his death.[N 2] Although The Wealth of Nations is widely regarded as Smith's most influential work, it is believed that Smith himself considered The Theory of Moral Sentiments to be a superior work.[60] In the work, Smith critically examines the moral thinking of his time, and suggests that conscience arises from social relationships.[61] His goal in writing the work was to explain the source of mankind's ability to form moral judgements, in spite of man's natural inclinations towards self-interest. Smith proposes a theory of sympathy, in which the act of observing others makes people aware of themselves and the morality of their own behavior.[62] Scholars have traditionally perceived a conflict between The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations; the former emphasizes sympathy for others, while the latter focuses on the role of self-interest.[63] In recent years, however, some scholars[64][65][66] of Smith's work have argued that no contradiction exists.[67] They claim that in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith develops a theory of psychology in which individuals seek the approval of the "impartial spectator" as a result of a natural desire to have outside observers sympathize with them. Rather than viewing The Wealth of Nations and The Theory of Moral Sentiments as presenting incompatible views of human nature, some Smith scholars regard the works as emphasizing different aspects of human nature that vary depending on the situation. These views ignore that Smith's visit to France (1764–66) changed radically his former views and that The Wealth of Nations is an inhomogeneous convolute of his former lectures and of what Quesnay taught him.[68] Before his voyage to France in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith refers to an "invisible hand" ("By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, [an individual] intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other eases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.") [69] which ensures that the gluttony of the rich helps the poor, as the stomachs of rich are so limited that they have to spend their fortune on servants. After his visit to France, Smith considers in the Wealth of Nations (1776) the gluttony of the rich as unproductive labour. The micro-economical/psychological view in the tradition of Aristotle, Puffendorf and Hutcheson,[70] Smith's teacher, – elements compatible with a neoclassical theory – changed to the macro-economical view of the classical theory Smith learned in France The main objective of Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy is to expand the range, variety and quality of texts in the history of philosophy which are available in English. The series includes texts by familiar names (such as Descartes and Kant) and also by less well-known authors. Wherever possible, texts are published in complete and unabridged form, and translations are specially commissioned for the series. Each volume contains a critical introduction together with a guide to further reading and any necessary glossaries and textual apparatus. The volumes are designed for student use at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and will be of interest not only to students of philosophy, but also to a wider audience of readers in the history of science, the history of theology and the history of ideas.Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) presents an original idea of a general system of morals, and is a text of central importance in the history of moral and political thought. It presents a theory of the imagination which Smith derived from David Hume but which encompasses an idea of sympathy that in some ways is more sophisticated than anything in Hume's philosophy. By means of sympathy and the mental construct of an impartial spectator, Smith formulated highly original theories of conscience, moral judgment and the virtues. The enduring legacy of his work is its reconstruction of the Enlightenment idea of a moral, or social, science encompassing both political economy and the theory of law and government. This volume offers a new edition of the text with clear and helpful notes for the student reader, together with a substantial introduction that sets the work in its philosophical and historical context. The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith’s first and in his own mind most important work, outlines his view of proper conduct and the institutions and sentiments that make men virtuous. Here he develops his doctrine of the impartial spectator, whose hypothetical disinterested judgment we must use to distinguish right from wrong in any given situation. We by nature pursue our self-interest, according to Smith. This makes independence or self-command an instinctive good, and neutral rules as difficult to craft as they are necessary. But society is not held together merely by neutral rules; it is held together by sympathy. Smith argues that we naturally share the emotions and to a certain extent the physical sensations we witness in others. Sharing the sensations of our fellows, we seek to maximize their pleasures and minimize their pains so that we may share in their joys and enjoy their expressions of affection and approval. - Publisher. "Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) presents an original idea of a general system of morals, and is a text of central importance in the history of moral and political thought. It presents a theory of the imagination which Smith derived from David Hume but which encompasses an idea of sympathy that in some ways is more sophisticated than anything in Hume's philosophy. By means of sympathy and the mental construct of an impartial spectator, Smith formulated highly original theories of conscience, moral judgement and the virtues. The enduring legacy of his work is its reconstruction of the Enlightenment idea of a moral, or social, science encompassing both political economy and the theory of law and government. This volume offers a new edition of the text with clear and helpful notes for the student reader, together with a substantial introduction that sets the work in its philosophical and historical context."--Jacket Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) lays the foundation for a general system of morals, and is a text of central importance in the history of moral and political thought. It presents a theory of the imagination which Smith derived from David Hume but which encompasses an idea of sympathy that in some ways is more sophisticated than anything in Hume's philosophy. By means of sympathy and the mental construct of an impartial spectator, Smith formulated highly original theories of conscience, moral judgment and the virtues. The enduring legacy of his work is its reconstruction of the Enlightenment idea of a moral, or social, science encompassing both political economy and the theory of law and government. This 2002 volume offers a new edition of the text with clear and helpful notes for the student reader, together with a substantial introduction that sets the work in its philosophical and historical context. How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it.