Few writings are more often cited as a cornerstone of modern economic thought than those of Adam Smith. Few are less read. The sheer strength of his great work, The Wealth of Nations, discourages many from attempting to explore its rich and lucid arguments. In this brilliantly crafted volume, one of the most eminent economists of our day provides a generous selection from the entire body of Smith's work, ranging from his fascinating psychological observations on human nature to his famous treatise on what Smith called a "society of natural liberty," The Wealth of Nations. Among the works represented in this volume in addition to The Wealth of Nations are The History of Astronomy, Lectures on Jurisprudence, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, and Smith's correspondence with David Hume. Before each of Smith's writings Robert Heilbroner presents a clear and lively discussion that will interest the scholar as much as it will clarify the work for the non-specialist. Adam Smith emerges from this collection of his writings, as he does from his portrait in Professor Heilbroner's well-known book, as the first economist to deserve the title of "worldly philosopher."

"How the insights of an 18th century economist can help us live better in the 21st century. Adam Smith became famous for The Wealth of Nations, but the Scottish economist also cared deeply about our moral choices and behavior--the subjects of his other brilliant book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759). Now, economist Russ Roberts shows why Smith's neglected work might be the greatest self-help book you've never read. Roberts explores Smith's unique and fascinating approach to fundamental questions such as: - What is the deepest source of human satisfaction? - Why do we sometimes swing between selfishness and altruism? - What's the connection between morality and happiness? Drawing on current events, literature, history, and pop culture, Roberts offers an accessible and thought-provoking view of human behavior through the lenses of behavioral economics and philosophy"--

In The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith assesses the sources of human morality and the role of human sympathies in judging the propriety of our actions and behaviors. Initially published in 1759 and revised by Smith in 1790 (as the 6th Edition), this work bookended Smith’s writing career, and served as the foundation for some of his other works like The Wealth of Nations. In Moral Sentiments, Smith delves into the inner workings and presumed sources of human morality. One important concept, frequently referenced by Smith, is that of the “impartial spectator.” This supposed viewer—who could be a stranger, a friend, a family member, or even our own conscience—observes all of our actions and judges their propriety and seemliness. Whether we express grief, anger, gratitude, benevolence, or some other feeling, the impartial spectator can only approve of our behavior to the extent they can “go along with” it, if they were to imagine themselves in our situation. Smith deals with self-interest, sacrifice, magnanimity, education, cultural expectations, self-command, justice and other factors driving the choices we make. He frequently references the great minds of antiquity, while also grappling with some of his near-contemporaries, scrutinizing their assertions and indicating where he felt they went astray. Moral Sentiments not only influenced The Wealth of Nations, but is an influential work of early modern moral philosophy in its own right, influencing many of the great thinkers of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, including the crafters of modern democracies. This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.

'New Perspectives on Adam Smith's "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" is a comprehensive study of Smith's ideas. It brings together themes and methodologies from a variety of fields including politics, sociology, intellectual history, history of science and evolutionary psychology.

D. D. Raphael provides a critical account of the moral philosophy of Adam Smith, presented in his first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Whilst it does not have the same prominence in its field as his work on economics, The Wealth of Nations, Smith's writing on ethics is of continuing importance and interest today, especially for its theory of conscience. Smith sees the origin of conscience in the sympathetic and antipathetic feelings of spectators. As spectators of the actions of other people, we can imagine how we would feel in their situation. If we would share their motives, we approve of their action. If not, we disapprove. When we ourselves take an action, we know from experience what spectators would feel, approval or disapproval. That knowledge forms conscience, an imagined impartial spectator who tells us whether an action is right or wrong. In describing the content of moral judgement, Smith is much influenced by Stoic ethics, with an emphasis on self-command, but he voices criticism as well as praise. His own position is a combination of Stoic and Christian values. There is a substantial difference between the first five editions of the Moral Sentiments and the sixth. Failure to take account of this has led some commentators to mistaken views about the supposed youthful idealism of the Moral Sentiments as contrasted with the mature realism of The Wealth of Nations. A further source of error has been the supposition that Smith treats sympathy as the motive of moral action, as contrasted with the supposedly universal motive of self-interest in The Wealth of Nations.