Book contents
- Interpreting Adam Smith
- Interpreting Adam Smith
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations of Works by Adam Smith
- Introduction
- 1 Smith Scholarship
- 2 The Wealth of Nations as a Work of Social Science
- 3 Adam Smith’s “Industrial Organization” of Religion
- 4 Talking to My Butcher
- 5 What Did Adam Smith Mean? The Semantics of the Opening Key Principles in the Wealth of Nations
- 6 Adam Smith and Virtuous Business
- 7 Adam Smith and the Morality of Political Economy
- 8 A Moral Philosophy for Commercial Society?
- 9 Adam Smith, Sufficientarian
- 10 Narrowing the Scope of Resentment in Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments
- 11 Adam Smith
- 12 “Much Better Instructors”
- 13 Sophie de Grouchy as an Activist Interpreter of Adam Smith
- 14 Adam Smith and the Limits of Philosophy
- Bibliography
- Index
6 - Adam Smith and Virtuous Business
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 September 2023
- Interpreting Adam Smith
- Interpreting Adam Smith
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations of Works by Adam Smith
- Introduction
- 1 Smith Scholarship
- 2 The Wealth of Nations as a Work of Social Science
- 3 Adam Smith’s “Industrial Organization” of Religion
- 4 Talking to My Butcher
- 5 What Did Adam Smith Mean? The Semantics of the Opening Key Principles in the Wealth of Nations
- 6 Adam Smith and Virtuous Business
- 7 Adam Smith and the Morality of Political Economy
- 8 A Moral Philosophy for Commercial Society?
- 9 Adam Smith, Sufficientarian
- 10 Narrowing the Scope of Resentment in Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments
- 11 Adam Smith
- 12 “Much Better Instructors”
- 13 Sophie de Grouchy as an Activist Interpreter of Adam Smith
- 14 Adam Smith and the Limits of Philosophy
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
For being the reputed “father of capitalism,” Adam Smith had many criticisms of commercial society. Smith’s concerns were so numerous, in fact, that some commentators argue that Smith is properly considered as on the political left rather than on the political right. Given the seemingly unending stories of business malfeasance and corruption, many today wonder whether there can even be such a thing as what we might call “virtuous business.” Despite his concerns about business, perhaps there might nevertheless be something relevant to contemporary concerns in Adam Smith. Smith recommends political-economic institutions that can provide a framework enabling us to address what a just and humane society is, as well as the role virtuous business might play in it. This chapter investigates how the Smithian system might plausibly provide such a framework and suggests that it can offer guidance today for what we might call “virtuous business.”
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- Information
- Interpreting Adam SmithCritical Essays, pp. 96 - 110Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023