Adam Smiths Theory of Moral Sentiments

Adam Smiths An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of the Nation greatly delves on his Theory of the Moral Sentiments which primarily states that people are born with a moral sense just as they have inborn concepts of beauty or harmony (Smith, The theory of... 1853). 
    In his theory, Smith considered conscience to be a determining factor that tells the people about what is right and wrong. This characteristic is regarded to be innate to the individuals and not something given by lawmakers or by rational thinking. And this is being supported by a natural fellow-feeling called as sympathy (Smith, An Inquiry into... 1864). In this light, it can be deducted that these natural senses of conscience and sympathy are the responsible in ensuring the human beings have the capacity to live together in orderly and mutually beneficial social organizations.
    Hence, it is regarded that morality is an end product of the humans nature and not merely by their capacity of reasoning. This means that humans have the innate goodness or badness because of the so called innate nature. They are learning morality through their innate character and not by their capacity to reason out things or situations. This nature is likewise the thing that Smith considers to create the beneficial social patterns of the societys patterns of economic actions.
    The Theory of Moral Sentiments, furthermore, also establishes a new liberalism which proves that society is seen as the outcome of the human actions but not necessarily of human design (Smith, An Inquiry into... 1864). This explains that the totality of a particular society depends on the actions and contributions of the humans who live in that particular place.
    In addition, Smith also argues that wealth depends on division of labor which merely depends on the accumulation of stock. Because of this argument, Smith suggests that in order that the government will have a significant contribution to the wealth of the nation, the individuals should be given the opportunity and freedom to find the most profitable employment of their capital or labor. Smith (1864) even argues that
 Every individual is continually exerting himself to find out the most advantageous employment for whatever capital he can command. It is his own advantage, indeed, and not that of the society, which he has in view. But the study of his own advantage naturally, or rather necessarily, leads him to prefer that employment which is most advantageous to the society  (p. 475).   
This implies that in order to have wealthy people in the society, there should be no suppression and manipulation in the markets and job opportunities for the people. There should be equal rights and opportunities for everyone to access the most profitable employment that they could have.
    Therefore, with this premise on the accumulation of wealth of the people, Smith most likely to promote and protect the public interest rather than the benefits of the few who are manipulating the market industry. This is often composed of the rich and political persons that usually suppress the individual growth of the people.  
    Another important thing to consider in his theory is that the invisible hand that creates the nature of the individuals is God (Smith  Skinner 1999). God is considered as the designer of nature as a system in which the interest of the parts harmonize as a whole entity. Because of this, Smith considers the humans beings not as merely self-interested but as a part of the providence of the divine designer.

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