On Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations: A Philosophical Companion
Princeton University Press (2004)
| Abstract | Adam Smith was a philosopher before he ever wrote about economics, yet until now there has never been a philosophical commentary on the Wealth of Nations . Samuel Fleischacker suggests that Smith's vastly influential treatise on economics can be better understood if placed in the light of his epistemology, philosophy of science, and moral theory. He lays out the relevance of these aspects of Smith's thought to specific themes in the Wealth of Nations , arguing, among other things, that Smith regards social science as an extension of common sense rather than as a discipline to be approached mathematically, that he has moral as well as pragmatic reasons for approving of capitalism, and that he has an unusually strong belief in human equality that leads him to anticipate, if not quite endorse, the modern doctrine of distributive justice. Fleischacker also places Smith's views in relation to the work of his contemporaries, especially his teacher Francis Hutcheson and friend David Hume, and draws out consequences of Smith's thought for present-day political and philosophical debates. The Companion is divided into five general sections, which can be read independently of one another. It contains an index that points to commentary on specific passages in Wealth of Nations . Written in an approachable style befitting Smith's own clear yet finely honed rhetoric, it is intended for professional philosophers and political economists as well as those coming to Smith for the first time. | |||||||||
| Keywords | Economics Philosophy Ethics | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Buy the book | $23.46 used (22% off) $28.32 direct from Amazon (9% off) Amazon page | |||||||||
| Call number | HB103.S6.F59 2004 | |||||||||
| ISBN(s) | 0691115028 069112390X 9780691115023 9780691123905 | |||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,705 |
| External links |
  Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesKnud Haakonssen (1981). The Science of a Legislator: The Natural Jurisprudence of David Hume and Adam Smith. Cambridge University Press.
Douglas den Uyl (2005). Review of Samuel Fleischacker: On Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations: A Philosophical Companion. [REVIEW] Journal of Scottish Philosophy 3 (2):171-180.
Douglas Den Uyl (2005). Review of Samuel Fleischacker: On Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations: A Philosophical Companion. [REVIEW] Journal of Scottish Philosophy 3 (2):171-180.
D. D. Raphael (2007/2009). The Impartial Spectator: Adam Smith's Moral Philosophy. Oxford University Press.
Adam Smith (1948). Adam Smith's Moral and Political Philosophy. New York, Hafner Pub. Co..
Peter Minowitz (1993). Profits, Priests, and Princes: Adam Smithʼs Emancipation of Economics From Politics and Religion. Stanford University Press.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2009-01-28Total downloads39 ( #29,866 of 549,549 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #63,397 of 549,549 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
