Liberty Fund Books

Description

The Glasgow edition was originally commissioned to celebrate the bicentenary of The Wealth of Nations, Smith's greatest work. But the project had and has a wider purpose. It is hoped that the most complete edition of Smith's works will facilitate perception of the fact that individually they form the parts of a single whole which embraces theories of knowledge and of communication together with the main components of ethics, jurisprudence, and political economy. This aim accords with Smith's own wishes as set out in the concluding pages of the first edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759)—a promise which was repeated in the advertisement to the final edition of 1790.

— Andrew S. Skinner, General Editor, and Professor of Political Economy, University of Glasgow

Now complete in seven titles/eight volumes, this series is the first uniform collection of Adam Smith's writings. The Glasgow edition is published in hardcover by Oxford University Press. The paperback edition is published by Liberty Fund.

The Wealth of Nations
The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres
Lectures on Jurisprudence
Essays on Philosophical Subjects
Correspondence of Adam Smith
Index to the Works of Adam Smith

Table of Contents

An Inquiry Into The Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

VOLUME 1
Key to Abbreviations and References vii
General Introduction 1
The Text and Apparatus 61
AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF THE WEALTH OF NATIONS 1

VOLUME 2
AN INQUIRY INTO THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF THE WEALTH OF NATIONS continued at IV.vi 545

Appendix 948
Textual Schedules
A Emendations of Accidental Readings 951
B Excluded Variants 952
C Line–End Hyphenation 977
Table of Corresponding Passages 980
Indexes 1006

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

PART I
OF the PROPRIETY of ACTION
SECTION I
Of the SENSE of PROPRIETY p. 9
CHAP. I Of SYMPATHY 9
CHAP. I I Of the Pleasure of mutual Sympathy 13
CHAP. III Of the manner in which we judge of the propriety or impropriety of the Affections of other Men, by their concord or dissonance with our own 16
CHAP. IV The same subject continued 19
CHAP.V Of the amiable and respectable virtues 23

SECTION II
Of the Degrees of the different Passions which are consistent with Propriety 27
CHAP. I Of the Passions which take their origin from the body 27
CHAP. II Of those Passions which take their origin from a particular turn or habit of the Imagination 31
CHAP. III Of the unsocial Passions 34
CHAP. IV Of the social Passions 38
CHAP. V Of the selfish Passions 40

SECTION III
Of the Effects of Prosperity and Adversity upon the Judgment of Mankind with regard to the Propriety of Action; and why it is more easy to obtain their Approbation in the one state than in the other 43
CHAP. I That though our sympathy with sorrow is generally a more lively sensation than our sympathy with joy, it commonly falls much more short of the violence of what is naturally felt by the person principally concerned 43
CHAP. II Of the origin of Ambition, and of the distinction of Ranks 50
CHAP. III Of the corruption of our moral sentiments, which is occasioned by this disposition to admire the rich and the great, and to despise or neglect persons of poor and mean condition 61

PART II
Of MERIT and DEMERIT; or of the Objects of REWARD and PUNISHMENT

SECTION I
Of the SENSE of MERIT and DEMERIT 67
CHAP. I That whatever appears to be the proper object of gratitude appear to deserve reward; and that, in the same manner, whatever appears to be the proper object of resentment, appears to deserve punishment 67
CHAP. II Of the proper objects of gratitude and resentment 69
CHAP. III That where there is no approbation of the conduct of the person who confers the benefit, there is little sympathy with the gratitude of him who receives it: and that, on the contrary, where there is no disapprobation of the motives of the person who does the mischief, there is no sort of sympathy with the resentment of him who suffers it 71
CHAP. IV Recapitulation of the foregoing chapters 73
CHAP. V The analysis of the sense of Merit and Demerit 74

SECTION II
Of Justice and Beneficence 78
CHAP. I Comparison of those two virtues 78
CHAP. II Of the sense of Justice, of Remorse, and of the consciousness of Merit 82
CHAP. III Of the utility of this constitution of Nature 85

SECTION III
Of the Influence of Fortune upon the Sentiments of Mankind, with regard to the Merit or Demerit of Actions 92
CHAP. I Of the causes of this Influence of Fortune 94
CHAP. II Of the extent of this Influence of Fortune 97
CHAP. III Of the final cause of this Irregularity of Sentiments 104

PART III
Of the Foundation of our Judgments concerning our own Sentiments and Conduct, and of the Sense of Duty
CHAP. I Of the Principle of Self-approbation and of Self-disapprobation 109
CHAP. II Of the love of Praise, and of that of Praise-worthiness; and of the dread of Blame, and of that of Blame-worthiness 113
CHAP. III Of the Influence and Authority of Conscience 134
CHAP. IV Of the Nature of Self-deceit, and of the Origin and Use of general Rules 156
CHAP. V Of the influence and authority of the general Rules of Morality, and that they are justly regarded as the Laws of the Deity 161
CHAP. VI In what cases the Sense of Duty ought to be the sole principle of our conduct; and in what cases it ought to concur with other motives 171

PART IV
Of the EFFECT of UTILITY upon the Sentiment of Approbation
CHAP. I Of the beauty which the appearance of UTILITY bestows upon all the productions of Art, and of the extensive influence of this species of Beauty 179
CHAP. II Of the beauty which the appearance of Utility bestows upon the characters and actions of men; and how far the perception of this beauty may be regarded as one of the original principles of approbation 187

PART V
Of the INFLUENCE of CUSTOM and FASHION upon the Sentiments of Moral Approbation and Disapprobation
CHAP. I Of the Influence of Custom and Fashion upon our notions of Beauty and Deformity 194
CHAP. II Of the Influence of Custom and Fashion upon Moral Sentiments 200

PART VI
Of the CHARACTER of VIRTUE
INTRODUCTION 212

SECTION I
Of the Character of the Individual, so far as it affects his own Happiness; or of Prudence 212

SECTION II
Of the Character of the Individual, so far as it can affect the Happiness of other People
INTRODUCTION 218
CHAP. I Of the Order in which Individuals are recommended by Nature to our Care and Attention 219
CHAP. II Of the Order in which Societies are by Nature recommended to our Beneficence 227
CHAP. III Of universal Benevolence 235

SECTION III
Of Self-command 237
CONCLUSION of the SIXTH PART 262

PART VII
Of SYSTEMS of MORAL PHILOSOPHY

SECTION I
Of the Questions which ought to be examined in a Theory of Moral Sentiments 265

SECTION II
Of the different Accounts which have been given of the Nature of Virtue
INTRODUCTION 266
CHAP. I Of those Systems which make Virtue consist in Propriety 267
CHAP. II Of those Systems which make Virtue consist in Prudence 294
CHAP. III Of those Systems which make Virtue consist in Benevolence 300
CHAP. IV Of licentious Systems 306

SECTION III
Of the different Systems which have been formed concerning the Principle of Approbation
INTRODUCTION 314
CHAP. I Of those Systems which deduce the Principle of Approbation from Self-love 315
CHAP. II Of those Systems which make Reason the Principle of Approbation 318
CHAP. III Of those Systems which make Sentiment the Principle of Approbation 321

SECTION IV
Of the Manner in which different Authors have treated of the practical Rules of Morality 327

Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres

Abbreviations ix

Introduction
1. The Manuscript 1
2. The Lectures 7
3. Considerations Concerning the First Formation of Languages 23
4. Rhetoric and Literary Criticism 29
5. System and Aesthetics 34

LECTURES ON RHETORIC AND BELLES LETTRES 1

CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING THE FIRST
FORMATION OF LANGUAGES 201

APPENDIX 1: Anecdotes of the late Dr. Smith
(The Bee or Weekly Intelligencer, iii. May, 11, 1791) 227

APPENDIX 2: Table of Corresponding Passages 233

Index 239

Lectures on Jurisprudence

Abbreviations ix

Introduction
1. The Manuscript 1
2. The Lectures 7
3. Considerations Concerning the First Formation of Languages 23
4. Rhetoric and Literary Criticism 29
5. System and Aesthetics 34

LECTURES ON RHETORIC AND BELLES LETTRES 1
CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING THE FIRST FORMATION OF LANGUAGES 201
APPENDIX 1: Anecdotes of the late Dr. Smith (The Bee or Weekly Intelligencer, iii. May, 11, 1791) 227
APPENDIX 2: Table of Corresponding Passages 233
Index 239

Essays on Philosophical Subjects

Key to Abbreviations and References viii

General Introduction, by D.D. Raphael and A.S. Skinner I

Works edited and introduced by W.P.D. Wightman

Introduction 5
The History of Astronomy 33
The History of Ancient Physics 106
The History of the Ancient Logics and Metaphysics 118

Introduction 133
Of the External Senses 135

Introduction 171
Of the Nature of that Imitation which takes place in what are called The Imitative Arts 176
Of the Affinity between Music, Dancing, and Poetry 210

Works edited and introduced by J.C. Bryce
Introduction 217
Of the Affinity between certain English and Italian Verses 220

Introduction 229
Contributions to the Edinburgh Review of 1755-56
Review of Johnson's Dictionary 232
A Letter to the Authors of the Edinburgh Review 242
Appendix: Passages quoted from Rousseau 255

Introduction 259
Preface and Dedication to William Hamilton's Poems on Several Occasions 261

Work edited and introduced by I.S. Ross

Introduction 265
Dugald Stewart: Account of the Life and Writings of Adam Smith, LL.D. 269

Index of Persons 353

Correspondence of Adam Smith

Abbreviations xv
Life and Works of Adam Smith xix
List of Letters xxiii

LETTERS I
APPENDICES 337
A. A Letter from Governor Pownall to Adam Smith (1776) 337
B. ‘Smith’s Thoughts on the State of the Contest with America, February 1778’, edited by David Stevens 337
C. Jeremy Bentham’s ‘Letters’ to Adam Smith (1787, 1790) 386
D. Custom-house Documents 405
E. New Letters 413

Index of Persons 435
Index of Books and Subjects 449