Dover Publications Inc. Theory of moral sentiments | adam smith

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• The foundation for a general system of morals, this 1749 work is a landmark in the history of moral and political thought.
• Readers familiar with Adam Smith from The Wealth of Nations will find this earlier book a revelation.
• Although the author is often misrepresented as a calculating rationalist who advises the pursuit of self-interest in the marketplace, regardless of the human cost, he was also interested in the human capacity for benevolence -as The Theory of Moral Sentiments amply demonstrates.The greatest prudence, Smith suggests, may lie in following economic self-interest in order to secure the basic necessities.
• This is only the first step, however, toward the much higher goal of achieving a morally virtuous life.
• Smith elaborates upon a theory of the imagination inspired by the philosophy of David Hume.
• His reasoning takes Hume's logic a step further by proposing a more sophisticated notion of sympathy, leading to a series of highly original theories involving conscience, moral judgment, and virtue.Smith's legacy consists of his reconstruction of the Enlightenment idea of a moral, or social, science that embraces both political economy and the theory of law and government.
• His articulate expression of his philosophy continues to inspire and challenge modern readers.