The Theory of Moral Sentiments

What It's About

Published in 1759, this is Adam Smith's foundational work of moral philosophy, written well before his more famous economic treatise, *The Wealth of Nations*. Smith sets out to explain how human beings form moral judgements, arguing that morality arises not from abstract reason alone but from natural human sympathy - our capacity to imagine and share in the feelings of others. Central to his argument is the idea of the "impartial spectator," an internalised observer we each construct to judge our own conduct as a fair-minded outsider would.

Key Concepts

Sympathy (or "fellow-feeling") as the basis of moral response; the impartial spectator as a mechanism of self-judgement; propriety and the appropriateness of emotional response to circumstance; virtue as the mean between excess and deficiency of feeling; and self-command as the discipline required to act well.

About the Author

Adam Smith was a Scottish philosopher and economist who held the Chair of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow. He is best remembered today as a founding figure of modern economics.