About the author
Scottish moral philosopher (1723–1790), better known for The Wealth of Nations but who regarded this earlier work as his most important. The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) grounds ethics in sympathy and the judgment of an 'impartial spectator' we internalise. Read together with his economics, it complicates the caricature of Smith as a prophet of self-interest: his market society is embedded in mutual sympathy, propriety, and the moral imagination.
Synopsis
A work on sympathy, moral judgment, virtue, and social approval.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Public domainSmith analyzes sympathy as central to moral life.
This complicates the idea that market liberalism is only about selfishness.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with Marx, Rousseau, or communitarian critiques.
Reading note
Useful for a richer understanding of capitalism, morality, and social life.
Best paired with
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations.