Adam Smith : selected philosophical writings
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Bibliographic Information
Adam Smith : selected philosophical writings
（Library of Scottish philosophy）
Imprint Academic, c2004
- : [pbk.]
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Includes bibliographical references
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Adam Smith (1723-90) studied under Francis Hutcheson at the University of Glasgow, befriended David Hume while lecturing on rhetoric and jurisprudence in Edinburgh, was elected Professor of Logic, Professor of Moral Philosophy, Vice-rector, and eventually Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow, and, along with Hutcheson, Hume, and a few others, went on to become one of the chief figures of the astonishing period of learning known as the Scottish Enlightenment. He is the author of two books: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). TMS brought Smith considerable acclaim during his lifetime and was quickly considered one of the great works of moral theory. It deeply impressed Immanuel Kant, for example, who called Smith his ' Liebling ' or 'favourite', and Charles Darwin, who in his Descent of Man (1871) endorsed and accepted several of Smith's 'striking' conclusions. TMS went through fully six revised editions during Smith's lifetime. Since the nineteenth century, Smith's fame has largely rested on his Wealth of Nations, which must be considered one of the most important works of the millennium: its argument for free trade, its explanation of the price mechanism and the division of labor, its qualified defense of market economies, and its powerful criticisms of mercantilist economic theories are now standard fare in economics courses, not to mention the basis of a large portion of today's worldwide economic policy. And its account of human nature is now classic. Both The Theory of Moral Sentiments and the Wealth of Nations reveal Smith's impressively broad learning, but he wrote and lectured on a number of other subjects as well. This anthology collects, for the first time in one volume, not only generous selections from each of Smith's books but also substantial selections from his other work, including his lectures on jurisprudence, his history and philosophy of science, his criticism and belles lettres, and his philosophy of language. It also includes two important letters from Hume, as well as Smith's account of Hume's death.
Table of Contents
Part One: Moral Theory. Selections from The Theory of Moral Sentiments, including Smith's discussions of: The pleasure of 'mutual sympathy of sentiments' The origins of the conscience, or 'impartial spectator' The origins and development of commonly shared moral standards The fundamental elements of human psychology Part Two: Political Economy. Selections from The Wealth of Nations and Smith's lectures on jurisprudence, including his discussions of: The division of labour and its advantages and liabilities The nature of market exchange, the price mechanism, and the 'invisible hand' Human motivation and the limits of human knowledge Schooling, religion, competition, and the proper role of government The four-stages theory of human history Part Three: Language, Criticism, and the Arts. Selections from Smith's writings on: The origins of human languages and their principles of change The nature of 'imitation' in painting, music, dance, and poetry Part Four: History and Philosophy of Science. A selection from Smith's History of Astronomy (1795), including his discussions of: Wonder, surprise, and admiration The principles of scientific development The contributions of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Brahe, Galileo, Kepler, Descartes, and Newton The nature of philosophical or scientific method Part Five: Correspondence. Smith's letter to the March 1756 Edinburgh Review, outlining the foreign literature and philosophy that learned Scots should read and study Hume's 12 April 1759 letter to Smith, on the reception in Edinburgh of TMS Hume's 28 July 1759 letter to Smith, containing Hume's objections to TMS Smith's 9 November 1776 letter to William Strahan, on the death of Hume
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