ADAM SMITH
He refuses to reduce people to calculators of self-interest, examining how sympathy and the desire for recognition shape judgment and relationships.
1723–1790Moral philosophy · Classical economicsScotland
Core ideas
SYMPATHYMORAL SENTIMENTSRECOGNITIONSELF-INTERESTMARKETS
Works & sources
The Theory of Moral Sentiments · The Wealth of Nations
ADAM SMITH, a first reading
Smith studied sympathy and moral judgment as well as markets.
Sympathy and the impartial spectator: what does it mean?
In The Theory of Moral Sentiments, sympathy involves imagining another person's situation. The impartial spectator offers a standpoint for examining self-serving judgments; Smith's thought cannot be reduced to self-interest alone.