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

About the Author

James R. Otteson is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama. He has published on Adam Smith and the Scottish Enlightenment, political philosophy, and the history of early modern philosophy.

Reviews

"Recommended for the abiding interest in Smith's metaphysics." -- Robert Calder Appraisal "The selections are judicious and well-suited to introducing readers to the range of Smith's thought." -- Maureen Harkin Eighteenth-Century Scotland "The editor's introduction is very good... the selection itself is well balanced and particularly useful for undergraduates." -- David Sullivan Political Studies Review