Adam Smith: Systematic Philosopher and Public Thinker

Eric Schliesser's Adam Smith Is The Product Of Two Decades' Reflection By The Author On The Great Scottish Enlightenment. Unique Among Treatments Of Adam Smith, Schliesser's Book Treats Him As A Systematic Philosopher. Smith Was A Giant Of The Scottish Enlightenment With Polymath Interests; Schliesser Thus Explores Smith's Economics And Ethics In Light Of His Other Commitments On The Nature Of Knowledge, The Theory Of Emotions, The Theory Of Mind, His Account Of Language, The Nature Of Causation, And His Views On Methodology. He Places Smith's Ideas In The Context Of A Host Of Other Philosophers, Especially Hume, Rousseau, And Newton; And He Draws On The Reception Of Smith's Ideas By Sophie De Grouchy, Mary Wollstonecraft, And Other Philosophers And Economists To Sketch The Elements Of, And The Detailed Connections Within, Smith's System. Adam Smith Traces The Outlines Of Smith's Intellectual System And Situates It In The Context Of His Highly Developed Views On The Norms That Govern Responsible Speech. In Particular, The Book Articulates Smith's Concerns About The Impact Of His Public Policy Recommendations, Especially On The Least Powerful In Society. In So Doing, Schliesser Offers New Interpretations Of Smith's Views On The Invisible Hand, The Wealth Of Nations, His Treatment Of Virtue, The Nature Of Freedom, The Individual's Relationship To Society, His Account Of The Passions, The Moral Roles Of Religion, And His Treatment Of The Role Of Mathematics In Economics. While The Book Does Offer A Single Argument, It Is Organized In A Modular Fashion And Includes A Helpful Index; Readers With A More Focused Interest In Smith's Achievements Can Skip To Their Section Of Interest.-- Cover; Adam Smith; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgments; List Of Abbreviations; Bibliographic Note; 1. Introduction: Systematic Philosopher And Public Thinker; A. Systems In Adam Smith; Born Smith's Corpus As Two Systems Of Philosophy; C. A Bibliographic Interlude; D. Methodologic Remarks; E. Summary; Part 1 Propensities And Passions; 2. Passionate Human Nature; A. Human Propensities And Smithian Social Explanation; Born Mind, Language, And Society; 3. The Passions, Rationality, And Reason; A. Natural Passions; Born Proto-​passions, Preconceptions, And Why Smith Is Not An Empiricist C. Causation, Sound Judgment, And Environmental Rationalityd. Reason As An Active Principle; E. Natural Unexpected Passions: The Intellectual Sentiments; F. Derived Passions; 4. From Natural Sentiments To General Rules And Moral Sentiments; A. Natural Sentiments; I. Smith's Criticisms Of Hume's Account Of Property; Ii. The Natural Sentiments And General Rules; Born Moral Faculties: The Moral Sense And Conscience; 5. The Sympathetic Process And Judgments Of Propriety; A. Sympathetic Process (feelings); Born Sympathy And Knowledge Of Causal Relations; C. Judgments Of Proportionality D. Counterfactual Reasoning In The Sympathetic Processe. The Piacular, Or On Seeing Oneself As A Moral Cause In Adam Smith; I. We (ought To) See Ourselves As Causes!; Ii. Norms Of Appeasement, Or On Experts And Smith's Embrace Of Fortune ...; Iii. Superstition And Grandeur; Iv. Natural Sentiments And Enlightenment, Or Nature Versus Reason; F. The Impartial Spectator; Part 2 Society; 6. Society And Political Taxonomy: Individuals, Classes, Factions, Nations, And Governments; 7. Adam Smith's Foundations For Political Philosophy; A. A New Utopia; Born Even The Humane Smith; C. Belonging To Society I. The Genealogy Of Propertyii. Original And Derived Property; Iii. The Turn To History: The Enlightenment Imperative; 8. Social Institutions And Consequentialism; A. Society, Justice, And Group Selection; Born Utility And Social Institutions; C. The Measure Of Real Price: Adam Smith's Science Of Equity; D. Progressive Taxation; E. On Theoretical Partiality Toward The Working Poor; F. The Role Of The Legislator; Private Virtue, Public Happiness; G. Liberty; H. Regulating Markets; 9. Virtue; A. Virtue As Excellence Or Virtue In Common Life?; Born Excellent-​in-​virtue-​of-​character 10. Three Invisible Handsa. The Invisible Hand Of Jupiter, And Miracles; Born The Vain And Insatiable Desires Of The Rich; C. Promoting Unintended Ends In Wn; D. Comparing The Three Invisible Hands; 11. Philosophy Of Science; A. Philosophy Within The Division Of Labor; B. Social Epistemology And The Impartial Spectator; C. Copernicus And Newton: Modest Scientific Realism; D. Magnanimous Superstition; 12. The Methodology Of Wealth Of Nations; A. Reflexivity; B. Natural And Market Prices; C. Deviations From Nature, The Price Of Free Competition; I. Newton's Fourth Rule Of Reasoning Eric Schliesser. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.